SMITTY: THEY DON'T LOVE HIM

Author: Jay Carter
Read 2161 Times Since
Posted on 2007-10-29

Smitty: It was a beautiful time (laughing) everything was moving so fast and I was a priority at J Records. I'll never forget I was doing a record with Kanye ("Ghetto" ft. Scarface and John Legend) and he told me you got a problem, and I asked him what's my problem and he said I had too many people that cared about my project, too many people have opinions on what should be next and what should be now and basically it became a clash of the minds because you have the people at the office saying well we need a record that will [be] equally or more successful than "Diamonds On My Neck" or we don't feel comfortable dropping another single with the album. Then you have the streets saying drop "Ghetto" and keep it moving, you have the buzz and niggas is fucking with you. So you go through the up's and down's of one person saying this and one person saying that before you know it, 5/6 months go by and you really have to come with a record equally successful. So now the people are going to be expecting a record just as big as your last instead of just taking advantage of the fact that the record was just a lifestyle crossover record. So I'm in a situation where I got to come with another hit and instead of me pushing the issue I said you know what let me come with a record that's equal to it because I never wanted to be in position where I was telling the label no I'm going to go with this record and fuck what y'all think. To me that's how artist get dropped because the label is not backing it and if it doesn't work, the artist is dropped, so now after all of the playing around and back and fourth it took about 8 months to a year and I came with the "Lil Haiti" record produced by The Runners and this the record J Records thought that they could get but I knew they could not because it was too much of a hood record. So when people ask what happen after "Diamonds On My Neck" a lot of things happen after about 4/5 ("Diamonds On My Neck remix ft. Lil Wayne & Twista", "Lil Haiti", "Natural Born Hustler ft. Akon", Died In Your Arms" and "Died In Your Arms Remix") singles came after that song but the point is none of those singles have transcended the way "Diamonds On My Neck" did whether it be the label or lack of interest.

24: Why do you feel like all of this was happening to you?

Smitty: Between 24HourHipHop.com and me I think they took advantage of the fact that I was an accomplished songwriter and I have such a high quantity of songs, they always felt that they could get something bigger, always felt they could get something better. Compared to another label where they would take what they can get from their artist and make the best of it especially if it sounds anywhere close to a hit record. And the sad part about it would be that I would have a record with Akon like "Natural Born Hustler" and Akon comes out and now they would want to run back and get that record and put it out. So this is what kept happening because they are a label that keeps trying to follow a trend instead of setting the trend!

24: I was actually sitting in the office at J Records because I'm actually working with Polo Grounds Music and one of your records was being played and I thought to myself, what are they doing with your project because in reality, there is only yourself and Cassidy at the label, no disrespect to Cassidy?

Smitty: Yeah, me and Cassidy are really the only two who can go toe to toe with most niggas out here and I'm going to be real with you, Cassidy is my dude and his record "Drink and My 2 Step" was falling apart until Swizz made his move at Universal and Swizz took the money and made that record pop. Swizz played the political role for that record, he's on that record he got hot with "Money In The Bank" over at Universal and he took it to Flex because that's his man because they were going to lose that record as well and I know what Cassidy is going through. Swizz and I talked about it and the problem is that the production company I'm signed to, he doesn't understand how to move like that. That's why when I was trying to make that move to Polo grounds which I'm still trying to do, I was talking to Brain [Leach] last week and it's a touchy situation, but the litigation is keeping me from doing it so Brain would have to go out on a limb to deal with all of the bullshit that comes along with Smitty. But at the end of the day everyone understands I'm a career artist, I keep grinding, I keep going and make real records that are going to sell albums, not just ringtones nothing against those artist, but I am a career artist and that's why they haven't drop me yet and they don't want to drop me.

24: Which would you rather happen at this point, be released from J Records or let them put out the album?

Smitty: If you listened to the freestyles I have been doing I have been crying to get dropped and they don't want to drop me, they don't want to let me go. Not only because of my talent but because of the money they have already spent trying to break me as an artist. So my move is to get with Brain Leach and Polo Grounds Music and its crazy that you're over there because he has a good position over there and he actually knows what he's doing when it comes to breaking records and that's really the best move for me and this is what Cassidy had to do with Swizz. Swizz got out of there and is over at Universal so he can get his music pushed from different angles. I love J Records to death, but if you just have them pushing your record, your record is only going to go so far. You need Polo Grounds you need other people helping and they might not want to admit that but it's just the truth homie! My ideal situation would be to shoot the video for this "Tell Me" record with Chris Brown because this record is going to be bigger then Smitty. It's the type of record that will throw me into the pile with all of the top artist in the game right now. So I would want to shoot the video and drop the album with Polo Grounds Music/J Records. To be honest I would not be comfortable dropping the album with my production company and J Records because we would not do any numbers, they don't have the chemistry. I'm not saying they don't know what there doing, but they don't have the chemistry. Brain does what he does and works the record then comes to J Records, he doesn't just bring a record and leave it up to J Records first.

24 I recently heard Trick Daddy on 99 Jamz and he mentioned DJ Khaled and how he doesn't play certain records. Personally I'm in New York right now but when I ask what's playing on the radio I hear Rick Ross and Flo Rida and I love them both but I don't hear Brisco, Triple C's, C-Ride, Smitty, PM, etc. How do you feel about this subject?

Smitty: I'm not here to diss Khaled. He was an advocate of me and was the first person championing me the same way he's doing Ross now. If I get too touchy about it, it's going to sound like I'm a hatter so like I say, I just kick away the chair and allow people to hang themselves. At the end of the day I think we all gave Khaled notable records to play, I can only speak for myself but "Died In Your Arms" is one of them which I even have T-Pain and Rick Ross who he champion on the remix and he still didn't find the record good enough to play it. So I took it personal and made a record "You Don't Love Me" because I personally gave you the record and I put your name in the record I said "Khaled you got to play this we the best." So for you not to play the record you can't tell me that's not a slap in the face. I don't think what he does is any different then what DJ Clue does with Dersert Storm, DJ Whoo Kid and G-Unit, or DJ Drama and Grand Hustle but if the record is hot, Drama or Greg Street will still play it regardless. Khaled I love you, you're my brother but your bias ways are coming off to people in a negative way and it's suppose to be a 305 Movement and it's creating a divider.

24: Tell me about Close Range and some of the things you have been up to lately?

Smitty: I'm glad you asked me about that. They gave me that edge because at one point I was a little comfortable with being signed and I now see why Jay-Z went and got State Property and why B.I.G. had Junior Mafia because these young cats tell you what you might not want to hear, but have to hear. So these dudes just made it easier for me to say let's just do it from the ground up and start doing these freestyles and let these niggas know what I'm really about. They spit raw too and I try to make it more of a family thing and not like a G-Unit thing where its 2/3 guys and me. It's a family and we all been together for a while and outside of music. It was later that we said you know what, I think we can do this rap shit together and if I can do a record with them and it gets a buzz all over the country from the name I have, then it's a blessing. I'm not trying to get a label deal or production deal, if it happens cool but that's not what where trying to do.

24: Tell me about your latest video "Straight Trappin" ft. Close Range?

Smitty: It was just an idea and I was tried of the street video. I had saw in the past with the artist sitting next to the car and showing off his chain and the women and wanting to do a street video that people could still watch even if it was not done with a 500,000 dollar budget. In Hip Hop this is what we were built on. I Youtubed KRS One's video for "Love Is Gone Get You" and it's just him in the room and the Ghetto Boys video for "Mind Playing Tricks On Me." So when did we get to the point where we need a $500,000 dollar video like I had with Hype Williams, which I did. Also the funny thing is that a lot of young niggas don't know its "Straight Ballin" from Pac; it's a lot of Pac fans but only a hand full of real Pac fans. It made sense to put it together for the new generation and the only Pac fans and pay a tribute along with showing a day in the life of Close Range. At the end of the day I need to start putting out a visual with the music and connect the face and start a whole new movement. I saw Webbie went through the same thing with Universal and started a whole new thing with Trill Entertainment and look how that turned out.

24: Are you still doing the ghostwriting thing?

Smitty: Yeah, Dr. Dre just recently sent me a beat and I submitted a song for the Detox album, its called "Making History," I'm not sure what's going on with that album but my relationship just stepped back up with him, so me and Alfonso at Aftermath been talking and I'm going to head out there, so that's a blessing. It has always been my passion to put out an album and a Close Range album and write for about 3 artist.

24: Any last words you want to say to the people?

Smitty: Check out Lime Light for anything on Smitty or hit me up at Good Company Management, www.myspace.com/smitty and www.jrecords.com. Check for all of my mixtapes that's out and that are coming out soon, Ghetto Soul Clothing, Shout Out Dade Wear and fuck with Smitty. Brain Leach holla at me we gone make this a Polo Grounds Thing!

SMITTY & CLOSE RANGE