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305DJ’S: First of all I want to congratulate you on having your song “Shoulder Lean” go to number one on the charts, how does that feel?
Young Dro: It feels good, It feel’s real good.
305DJ’S: I recently read that you were friends with Chris Smith (one –half of Kris Kross) is that what made you to get into music and start raping?
Young Dro: Yeah pretty much I remember him telling me back in the day like, you can do this too, so that kind of made me want to do it and a lot of other people inspired me also.
305DJ’S: Who are some of your musical influences?
Young Dro: Raekwon, Ghostface, Nas, Biggie. I remember listening to a lot of cats back in the days and people [didn’t] even talk about today, like kilo. I would listen to 8 Ball back in the days, Too Short was big on us too, Spice 1. We was just rolling with the times to mostly 2pac and B.I.G. to like that whole era.
305DJ’S: After first meeting T.I. then losing touch, going through your ups & downs signing with Tight IV Life (at the time home of D$L Fabo and Drama) and Rocky Road Records being Incarcerated, did it feel like destiny linking back up with T.I. and signing with Grand Hustle?
Young Dro: Yeah because I mean before we even started raping we had got into a little trouble. We separated, he went to go stay on one side of town and I went to go stay on another. An the time we was apart he was raping and then I started raping so when he saw me he was like [why don’t] you come over here but I was still under contract so I always knew I would end up over here (Grand Hustle).
305DJ’S: With the success of your first single “Shoulder Lean” did you feel any pressure choosing your next single?
Young Dro: No, I don’t think I did. I really wanted “Rubber Band Banks” to be my first single [but] they kept asking which one we gone go with and I would say “Rubber Band Banks”.
305DJ’S: Were you at all skeptical about dropping a first single with an up-and-coming producer compared to going with a Mannie Fresh or a Scott Storch?
Young Dro: I don’t think we even thought about it like that, like lets go get a big name producer and get it on. I actually take the tracks that big name producers throw away. I’m the kind that got that other ear, it doesn’t matter who did the beat. For example there was a kid out of Bankhead Court that nobody in the world knew, but I got him on my mixtape and that’s big to be on a DJ Drama “Gangsta Grillz’ mixtape and nobody knows you period. That’s the kind of guy I am. I just like good music and good people and he’s a good guy (producer Lil C who did “Shoulder Lean” & “Rubber Band Banks’).
305DJ’S: What other producers did you work with on the album?
Young Dro: Jazze Pha. I got a Nitti Beat, we did a song called “Man In The Trunk.” I also got Kiao who did “Why You Wanna” for T.I. Keith Mack and Chad West who added that up north feel to my album.
305DJ’S: What are some of the advantage and disadvantages of having T.I. as your friend and boss?
Young Dro: Before the whole music thing ever started we were home boys so I expect certain things for him to handle as a home boy. But he’s not like that he always stick to the script because sometimes I be looking for favors I cant get from him but that goes with being a home boy and he definitely knows how to separate the two.
305DJ’S: Describe your fashion style for a minute?
Young Dro: You might catch me with the yellow lien yellow gators with the eye on it god dammit then. I might switch all that and go with the Ralph Lauren with the spellmen colors pink and green all the way down to the socks. Hat(pink & green) shirt(pink & green) pink shorts and socks (pink & green) with some Ralph Lauren loafers Cartier on my face plus a Frank Muller on.
305DJ’S: How did it feel performing with T.I. at the VMA’s and basically in my opinion the best performance of the night?
Young Dro: It felt good. It felt like it was new and in rehearsals I saw how clean the visuals was looking and I thought to myself like, damn I made it to the VMA’s baby. I did my little piece of song rock the crowd told them my name and told them how clean I was and we rocked the whole stage. An one thing I liked about it with T.I. they have us separate instead of just having us together and they treat both of us like royalty we had our own dressing rooms and everything.
305DJ’S: What’s the next single?
Young Dro: “Rubber Band Banks” is the next single, we just did the video so look out for that. The video, I like it a lot, its easy on the eye and something new it has the concept from the Hp Commercials like the one with Jay-Z. I have something to that degree so some of the things I talk about in the song will pop out on the screen through out the song and I’m controlling it with my hands.
305DJ’s: What’s your favorite song on the album if you had to choose just one?
Young Dro: It would be “What It Is” and that’s a Jazze Pha production.
305DJ’s: Where do you see yourself 4 years from now?
Young Dro: Richer. I always think about good things but you know, like I always say no man knows. I could just be headed in the right way and what ever happens, happens so I’m going to keep my hopes up.
305DJ’S: What next for Young Dro and Grand Hustle?
Young Dro: I drop next spring the fans can look forward to that and me and T.I. are probably going to work on an album together.
305DJ’S: Any thing you want to say to your fan’s reading this interview?
Young Dro: Stay down with me we gone go along way and don’t leave your boy because I’m not going to ever let you down holla back Young Dro.
Interview By: Jay Carter
