YUNG JOC: YOU HAVE NO IDEA

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You know him as Yung Joc; Diddy’s label mate from hip hop’s breading capital, Atlanta, GA. You also know how well his album, New Joc City is doing on the charts; mainly because you helped get to the top. But unbeknown to some, Yung Joc is no puppeteer of bad boy, rather the maestro.

ACCESS caught up with the young entrepreneur during a radio tour in South Florida; the Hilton in Boca Raton to be exact. We get there, relatively on time, and proceeded to get Joc’s manager on the phone to make our arrival known. He replies that they’ve left the radio station, X-102.3, and was not to far away. Give or take 10 minutes and a white van approached the entrance. Something about that said the gang is here. Several gentlemen get out of the van, with cell phones to ear, and make their way inside.

ACCESS makes way towards the entrance to hail the manager. Some small talk ensues as a suitable location for the interview is being directed. A spot similar to a dim-lighted formal living room adjacent the bar seemed appropriate. Joc and company make their way towards us, cell phones to ear. A formal introduction takes place, followed by the general seating. Moments later the interview begins; well sort of. Rule of thumb: you should never keep a lady waiting. There are exceptions, mind you. For instance, if the person on the other end of your mobile just happens to be Diddy, or mister, “I Run New York”, then ok, you can keep a girl waiting. Luckily for Joc, it was Diddy on the other end.

He puts the phone on speaker and all I could make out was “I want Joc on billboards, I want Joc on these night shows, I want Joc everywhere.”

JOC: (takes the phone off speaker) Let me know what I can do as far as the extra little shit. If I need to holla at henlo and get some more t-shirts, nigga, lets do what we got to do.

JOC: (covers the receiver on the phone) I’m sorry about this. They’re going crazy right now. I’ll be off in a minute.

JOC: (back on the phone) whatever needs to be done, even If we need to get some more of those Joc straps, than damit who we need to call to get it done. If we need to put bigger condoms in those packages (**I assuming goodie bag of sorts) fuck it, let’s do it. You already know where I stand. I’m trying to get a head start. Nobody’s got to tell me when the time is. Even you were like, ‘damn, this dude already started recording’.

After about 5 minutes of back and forth, we finally get a chance to parle.

24 ACCESS: You’ve already started recording another album?
JOC: Oh yeah. Just because New Joc City sold 400,000 out the gate, doesn’t mean I can sit back and chill. What am I waiting for? I ain’t waiting on Diddy or block to say, ‘get in the studio’, I’m already in there.

24 ACCESS: I’m assuming that second album isn’t done yet, so what can you tell us about it so far?
JOC: Man, after the first album dropped, I got so many calls about different people trying to be on the next record. (Rick) Ross, Too Short, Kelis even Madonna hollered at Diddy about collaborating. So, we might expand on the guest spots, but it’s still going to have that Joc specialty to it.

24 ACCESS: It seems like you’re open to featuring a broader group of artists on your album or better yet, working with different talent?
JOC: Yes and no. there are some artist who, when I would meet them at a show or something, weren’t feeling me for whatever reason. And that’s cool with me. But to have some of those cats want to come back now and get on a track or want me to jump on their track, just because I’m the ‘it’ guy doesn’t fly with me.

24 ACCESS: Someone can easily say that’s the nature of the game. First, show me what you got. Then, we’ll talk.
JOC: Some people can realize talent from day one….they don’t need to see chart numbers to know how good I am. They already expected that.

24 ACCESS: Very true. Speaking of talent, I want to go back a bit to you growing up in College Park. I know that you’re one of twelve siblings, which most of whom chose the traditional route to pursue their success; some lawyers, some into real estate. But you opted another route, why is that?
JOC: Yeah, the thing is, I have a serious attention disorder unless it’s something I really believe in, like music. … I wanted to be a lawyer. … I believed in being an attorney. Still, till this day, I believe I can go back to school and do that. It’ll take seven years, but if I wanted to do I could. I’m 23 years old. I have plenty of time.”

24 ACCESS: Since music was the only thing that could keep you’re attention, who’d you listen to as a kid?
JOC: The legends, you know like Run DMC, Ice-T, Slick Rick, LL Cool J. Once I got a little older, I started listening to Outkast, Goodie Mob, Tupac, B.I.G. I was relating to what they were saying, so those guys were it to me.

24 ACCESS: Alright, let’s fast forward some. Here you are, a young kid trying to make a name for yourself as a rapper. You get this gig at a very popular spot, The Royal Peacock in Atlanta. And in walks Block (main man behind Boyz N Da Hood). How was it having Block watch your performance?
JOC: "Man, I had everybody leaning and rocking side-to-side. Block saw that, he liked what he saw and it was a done deal from there. I was on his roster that very night.

24 ACCESS: So how long after that did you linked up with Diddy?
JOC: It wasn’t long after that. Block was already making moves with Boyz N Da Hood, so it wasn’t nothing setting up that first meeting.

24 ACCESS: How was it like sitting in a conference room, discussing business with Diddy?
JOC: I never get star stuck, but to have Diddy sitting right where you are and me across from him was crazy. And then, to hear him say things like, ‘you’re more than just another artist’ and ‘there’s more to your potential than selling records’ wasn’t just flattering cuz Puff isn’t that dude. It was realness.

24 ACCESS: It seems like you’ve got this music thing down, are you planning on making any ventures outside of music?
JOC: We got plans on starting a production company, but not so much for making movies. The money is in making commercials, so that’s where I’m headed.

24 ACCESS: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being in this industry?
JOC: Persistency.

24 ACCESS: What’s the second most important thing?
JOC: Consistency.

Yung Joc / You Have No Idea
Words / Stephanie Gaston

 

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