24: I want to start at the beginning because a few years back you took over the world with your record “It’s Going Down” Produced by Nitti Beatz which you had the world going crazy and doing your dance from of artist to entertainers as well as big time actors such as Tom Crusie. You debut album went on to sell over 1 Million copies and your on MTV during the VMA’s performing your hit single along side Diddy. Explain in your words what went wrong with your Bad Boy situation after releasing your second album on Bad Boy Entertainment because myself as well as the readers would love to know?
Yung Joc: Hmmm, I don’t know if it was a Bad Boy situation in full, I think what was happening in the transitioning period from my second album to my third album. The third album did 400,000 but in today’s climate that’s not bad but coming from selling over a million copies a lot of people would call that a flop and a lot of people counted me out as a flop. Then not only that you have Bad Boy contract agreement with Atlantic Records coming to an end. So things were already going through a slow severance I should say. It was never a case where me and Puff was having problems it was more a case of I know how my deal was set up let’s get it straight. I never had a deal with Block of Block Entertainment who was the quote on quote furnishing company who did my deal.
24: So what happened next?
Yung Joc: Well because I knew I didn’t have a deal I specifically told them
we need to get my deal right. Next was a bunch of mother fuckers challenging me telling me they want me to resign a contract with Block. So i’m asking what will the contract say because if it doesn’t state that I’m going to be in control of half of my money I’m not signing it! Why would I sign a contract with someone I’ve been beefing with? If I’m beefing with a nigga why would I resign a contract with him for? Now that don’t make sense know do it?
24: Not at all…
Yung Joc: An that’s why I did what I did and kept it moving.
24: So where did you go from their because most artist would have lost hope and gave up being placed in that situation not to mention a lot of artist may have just signed the contract and started recording another album because of the brand that with built along with the Diddy/Bad Boy Co-Sign already in place?
Yung Joc: I was given a choice of using Yung Joc or Swagg Team which I chased Swagg Team for my own label which I started and within 3 months of starting my company I inked a deal and had a hit single with Hot Stylz “Lookin’ Boy” Ft Yung Joc.
24: You pretty much answered my next question because I was going to ask you did leaving Bad Boy Entertainment encourage you to start your own label?
Yung Joc: That was kind of what it was. I was heading into my third year of being an entertainer and I had not yet put anyone else on which was bothering me. An that’s really how me and Nitti got together because I had brought him Miss B who at the time was a young lady who I considered my best friend as well as my sister. So once we got her a hit with that situation I figured we would be able to get other people on but it didn’t happen. When Zoe(Gorrila Zoe)came along it was between him and Sunny Valentine or Zoe. I knew both of them niggas for a while and I told Block I want him to give Sunny V a deal and Sunny V told Block what he was going to take and what he wasn’t going to take so Block was like fuck it and never did the deal. SInce the deal never happened Bloc didn’t want to clear him on Sunny Valentine record “Fuck You Pay Me” which was being released through Jive Records. I told Block that’s not cool and he’s my nigga and you got to clear the record, so the record was cleared. After that it was some back and fourth about the music video being cleared and I’m not sure what happened with that which is why you never saw a video released for that record. What basically ended up happening was Block asking me if he should fuck with Zoe(Gorrila Zoe)since he wasn’t going to sign Sunny, so I’m like yeah if your not going got fuck with my partner. I basically put Zoe under my wig and took him with me on the road whether I was doing shows or interviews etc. I kept mentioning him every chance I got and kept doing shows and I remember folks looking at him like he was crazy while performing “Hood Nigga”. Then finally the shit started working and the record started popping. So that was actually my first unofficial artist situation because I really did so much on Zoe end to pop him off that Zoe should of been my artist.
24: So after that you were like I’m going to get my own label?
Yung Joc: Yeah, I was already working on it so that’s why soon as I stepped away from Block Entertainment and my Bad Boy Deal my Swagg Team Label was already in the works and almost done. So by the time I walked away I had an official company by then. At that point I was actually looking for people to hire to start my company with. An with that said within 3 months we put out our first hit. You know it’s one of them success stories.
24: Lol, Speaking of your label Swagg Team which is going through Jive Records and has acts such as Hot Stylz and GS Boyz who also had huge success with their single “Stinky Leg”. What should the people be looking forward to from you and your label in 2011?
Yung Joc: I’m definitely trying to pop off a couple more acts and I have an artist by the name of Jah Bless, he has a record by the name of “Hello Kitty” that we will be working Go Sean, Heavy Weights, Concrete Boy, JC. It’s a lot of things we are working on. Right now it’s crazy though because it’s not a lot of good music coming out from my camp and it’s usually just alright because a lot of people be putting they homeboys on. I’m not that nigga, if your music aint right I’m not signing you! But everyone on my team has been coming with it.
24: Outside of your label deal though your a solo artist your signed to Polo Grounds/J Records correct?
Yung Joc: Yes, I’m signed to Polo Grounds/J Records.
24: Before your first solo album drop via Polo Grounds/J Records what should the readers be on the look out for from Yung Joc and what’s the best way to keep up to date with everything your doing?
Yung Joc: Definitely, Follow me on Twitter at @IAMYUNGJOC or Facebook at www.Facebook.com/yungjoc and check out my website at www.Iamyungjoc.com. My new mixtape Tha Notorious J.O.C. Hosted by DJ Demp and DJ Sense recently dropped on May.21st so go ahead and download that now!
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