Interviews

RapBasement.com - Young Buck Exclusive Interview

Rap Basement: How did you get the name Young Buck?

Young Buck: I started hustlin on the streets at a young age. I was real young compared to the other dudes that was on the block. But I had a little more heart, to do a little more then the other dudes that were on the block. An OG, his name is Preeze he's in the penitentiary now, he gave me that name.

Rap Basement: How did you hook up with 50 Cent and later join G-Unit?

Young Buck: I'm 22 years old now, back with I was 16 I had met Cash Money, you know Baby from Cash Money? (Yaw) They was looking to sign me back then, but things didn't work out you know. I had dropped out of high school; I dropped out in the 9th grade. After that didn't work out, I was back at square one.

Rap Basement: So you were never signed to Cash Money?

Young Buck: Na, I was never signed. It didn't work out. Mainly because of their career, they took off, the Hot Boys at the time, that was their main focus and I was pushed to the back. It was rough and I went back home for minute. So during the time with Cash Money me and Juvenile had become friends. I was back at home for some 2 years; I was 20 years old then. Juvenile hit me up on the phone and he was ready to start his own label. I was looking for a way off these streets so I was like 'yo lets make it happen'. I went on the road with him from there. This was 2 and half years ago. One of the first places he went was New York. It's kind of a base for hip hop where everyone goes to get their deals and do all the corporate stuff. When he had got there one of the things he said was he wanted to work with 50 and I was always a friend of 50. So when his name got brought up, I really pushed the issue. I was like "come on get in here" and I seen it as a kind of way to keep in touch with him. He ended up coming by the bus later that night, and Juvenile had a studio on the bus at this time. When he came by we played songs for each other. He brought Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo with him and they were playing their songs, and I was playing songs I had done. Well out of the vibe that was going, 50 was really feeling me and I was feeling the whole vibe of his situation. Everything wasn't working out with the whole situation with Juvenile. He had been out on the road for over a year at the time and it was like nothing. You know I’m really hustling and on the road with this dude at the same time, I’m like illegal but legal at the same time. So I was telling 50 I don't know how long I’m going to be doing this before I go all the way back to the streets because things aren't happening for me right now. He was like 'if everything works out, I'll keep it real and come back and work with you'. So through that time I stayed in touch with him you know. I would call like every week to to check with them, come by to see what they was doing. Fly up to New York, fly out to L.A. while he was recording and working on the "Get Rich Or Die Tryin" album. We ended up recording a song "Blood Hound" and that ended up getting on the "Get Rich Or Die Tryin" album. So it took off from there. After I did the song, it was like 'yo I was always in place; I wouldn't say I had to get initiated into G-Unit because I was always a part of G-Unit then without you knowing me. I was just from a different place which made it a little hard for me to be there. It's just Nashville everything became official where I made my decisions, made my moves and being a notorious G-Unit head, in every mag, featured on every film.

Rap Basement: It really looked like when Yayo went to jail that you really stepped up and you became a bigger member. Is there any jealousy between up and Yayo?

Young Buck: Me and Yayo got real real good blood. Make sure you clear that up! I've had a lot of different people asking me that. I just want the world to know now that me and Yayo are good friends, you understand me? We are all good friends and we can never beef amongst each other. We kind of like something different that you haven't seen in your life before man, we kind of like the truth. The real deal. So you really don't, you really won't have to look forward to hear that Lloyd Banks broke up from G-Unit or Young Buck broke up with G-Unit or Yayo got to fighting with Buck and all that. You won't hear those types of things because we respect each other now and ever before this rap thing, you know we friends. Me and Yayo got real good blood and I can't wait till he gets home and we can start giving the world what it needs to see, all of us together.

Rap Basement: So nothing is going to change as far as your participation in G-Unit when Yayo gets out?

Young Buck: I mean there will be cars around here, more diamonds, and more guns in the area. Other then that ain't nothing changing homie.

Rap Basement: You said "Juve left me in California, I don't respect that" in your solo song "Footprints", what happened with that situation?

Young Buck: Basically what happened was Juve... He was a friend, we friends you know. At the time he was looking for anything to happen, he was running looking for opportunities. There was an opportunity given to Juve he would go and see what it was about as far as deal situation. He was looking for a deal with his own record label. In California there happened to be a spot where these certain deals were offered, through a certain guy. It was all good you know because when I got out there everything was everything and I didn't trip about the situation and then I rolled with the punches I was that type of dude. I was looking to try and make me a career happen. When we got out to California I think Juve had received a phone call saying he had to be in court for something back in Texas or somewhere and he kind of like just left that following morning like in the middle of the night without anything he just like struck out. When we woke up, me and skip, the bus driver, some old guys, people in the UTP entourage, we woke up and we didn't have any money or nothing at the time. You feel what I’m saying? (YA) We didn't know who was paying for the hotel or nothing. Its like you wake up one morning and your boss is gone, your there on your own. I was there on the strip with him, although I was trying to make things happen for me, and he had left. I don't know if the situation was that important where he had to just struck out and leave or what but all I know is he left, and he left where at the time there was no money in my pocket, there was no money in Skip's pocket. And when I say skip those were his other artists working with us at the time. And he just kind of like left us. It was kind of crazy because the bus driver didn't even have money to move the busses. Later on we get a phone call from the front desk saying 'yo you all got to get up out of these rooms because the guy who was paying for these rooms isn't paying for them anymore, he left, and he’s not here'. He was supposed to be out there completing a deal with somebody.

Rap Basement: Who was that somebody?

Young Buck: ... It was with Suge Knight. (oh ok) He was supposed to be out there if not completing a deal at least looking forward to doing a deal with the dude. It was kind of crazy because I wasn't completely aware of the situation and what kind of talk was being spoke or what kind of deal was being offered. It just made me be stronger; it made me be aware of what I was being around. I don't have any hard feelings with Juvenile, it's just like Damn! You just up and left. I had to get somebody to wire me money from Tennessee to fly back home. From there I was like 'yo anybody leave me in a situation like that man... it was just crazy it's all good, I'm going to accept that, but I’m just going to step back you know what I’m saying? (ya) Sit back and focus on Buck, somebody just gets up and leaves you in a situation like that you know... it's just kind of crazy.

Rap Basement: So did you speak to Suge? ever meet with him? (YA) So were you going to be signed with him back then too, were you part of the deal or was it just Juvenile?

Young Buck: It was Juvenile. Juvenile was looking to do his... I really don't know the facts of what he was looking to do; I just knew I was with Juvenile. I don't know what he was trying to do, was he trying to do the deal with us, because he was still in paper work with his situation with Cash Money. You know it just taught me to be aware of everything that’s going on around you. I spoke to Suge and we didn't have any bad blood or whatever. The meeting was like what up what up and it was all good so there wasn't any bad blood between me or Suge it was just the simple fact that even he knows Juve had us all out there and even left on him, really you know what I’m saying? He was paying for the hotel rooms and everything. Once he realized Juve had left, he cancelled the rooms, and it was me and probably six or seven other guys. Nobody knew where they were going to stay at; everybody was going their own way. Everyone was in the process of getting with family trying to get back home and a couple of guys got left behind in California because they went their own way looking to get some money and it was just crazy back then. It was hard but it was fair because I’m good now. That why in the line you hear me say "Juve left me in California but I’m going 2 accept that... I love him too much to beef" You feel what I’m saying? So I’m just going to step back so make sure you don't get it twisted.

Rap Basement: So you don't have beef with anyone at Cash Money?

Young Buck: Na I don't got beef with anybody, even though things didn't work for me. At this point everything is good. I look at everything I went through back then as a learning process so everything's all good man.

Rap Basement: So... How much ice do you got up in your mouth now?

Young Buck: Honest... What you see in the video and what you seen on these pictures are pull outs. I got gold teeth up over my original teeth so they got to take my teeth out and got to take impressions but it's close to a 100 G's.

Rap Basement: I heard you hooked up with Lil Flip for his new album. What's your relation with him?

Young Buck: That's my homeboy. Flip is a good dude. Flip and David Banner man, them my homeboys along with Lil John & Titty Boi and them boys. The whole south man, we are all together. Me and Flip been friends for years and I met David Banner and we been close friends out here lately and the whole south we out here together. We don't play that beef game too tough.

Rap Basement: What about fellow Tennessean’s 3,6?

Young Buck: Them are my homeboys, those are one of the first dudes that gave me a shot and an opportunity at being heard man. One Love 4real. 3 6 Mafia. I’m on When The Smoke Clears I had 8 bars on the posse song it's number 14. They from Memphis, that’s like 3 hours away from where I’m from Nashville.

Rap Basement: Was there any reason you chose 'Footprints' as the hook on your solo song? what does it mean to you?

Young Buck: Honestly I had laid the verses down (and 50 picked it?) Yaw. Once 50 had heard my verse he was like 'Yo lets do it' once he said it I was like 'damn this is perfect' because we was fitting the same exact feeling from what I was trying to get from the song. So I was like lets run with that, but 50 came up with the hook.

Rap Basement: So what's next for you?

Young Buck: Man I'm looking for the solo thing but Lloyd Banks is next. He's due in March. 50's coming back in June / July. I probably got like 20-22 solo songs done already .

Rap Basement: So are you signed to Interscope as a solo artist?

Young Buck: I'm signed to G-Unit, G-Unit's signed to Interscope. So we all doing solo albums next.