It is evident that Miami has practically put the Southern Rap Game in a chokehold. For the plethora of artists that inhabit these city limits, 1 out of the 5 striving artists make it to the top of their game. From their grind, to their hustle, and the talent they possess, flooding these city streets effortlessly day and night, it’s never too difficult to make a name of yourself even before the fame. At the end of the day industry execs do listen, they listen on a subliminal level, but they are searching for the next top 40 single on a daily basis. One such artist is a major part of the pinnacle Miami movement and lately he’s been making a huge name of himself all across the industry.

The Shone originator skyrocketed to stardom practically overnight; Ballgreezy released the hit single ‘Shone’ and caused a chain reaction in the Miami music scene. He proved to the masses that the 305 doesn’t always push gangster music every day, the sound can be tweaked on a different level as well. His music is extremely versatile that each track he releases has a different sound. From all his hard work and all the time he put into his music and his grind, it was evident that he was going places. Now with Iconz behind him 100%, Ballgreezy has a prosperous future ahead of him and everything else is just self explanatory. This is the exclusive interview with the acclaimed Mr. Shone that you will only read here on 24hourhiphop.com.

24: First and foremost how is everything with the infamous Ballgreezy?

Ballgreezy: Everything is good, it’s getting better as the day goes it’s more and more about the deal I’m getting ready to do and what I’m about to get into, so it’s better and better as the day goes.

24: I know fans are dying to know as well as I am how did you come about the name Ballgreezy?

Ballgreezy: It was given to me, meaning it was a gift. When someone calls you something and you answer, that’s your name. It was actually Ball Grim at first, but my boys added the greezy on to it, so I just ran with it. Once you answer, that’s your name, so now I’m Ballgreezy.

24: Before we get into your music, let’s get into your history let everyone know who the real Ballgreezy is before the First 48 with Benzino to where you are now.

Ballgreezy: Before Ballgreezy I never been an upfront type of person, I’m always laid back as you can see, I don’t talk too much, but you would never know that from the type of music I make. It came along when I was in the studio with (Gorilla) Tek one day and I really never knew all the shit you have to go through when your in this rap business, you have to know this and that and it wasn’t something I was use to and now that I’m getting use to it I realize that it’s what I have to do. Now as I go on I’m starting to be that upfront person but I’m really not that type of person. The music I make has me that way in the lime light and I have to handle that because now I have people depending on me and the money is rolling good for me now and I want it to keep going so that’s what it is. The first 48 the little situation with Benzino is he had a studio in the Venetian building in the hall with us and Zino is a cool dude, so his studio was like a hang out spot, some of everybody use to be in there. We were vibin’ in there so long we came up with so many songs together it’s like they put it together, so that’s how that came about and we were trying to work that but I don’t know what happened with that as you can see I’m Ballgreezy and I be on my own shit but I still fuck with Benzino every now and then from time to time when I’m not doing anything, them my niggas though.

24: Now let’s get into your music, over numerous times we hear artists say that when they write a song, the beat speaks to them, does the same method go for you?

Ballgreezy: Yes because the beat just gives you the vibe of where to go with the song, if you’re smart you will follow along with it until you get stuck then you have to fall back on it, but the beat just takes you where the song needs to be at.

24: How did the situation with Iconz Music come about?

Ballgreezy: Well it happened with Fentz he is the ceo of iconz music and my sister use to do his hair and I was doing my things on the side and every time he would come through I know he had his little production thing with drum majors and I never had no beats or anything thing then so I use to ask him for beats and so he said let me here some of your shit and you know there were popular back then with get fucked up and all that other shit and I use to give him songs all the time and he would never give me any feedback and you know how you try to do something to impress someone and there not budging and I was like im going to show you I can do it if that’s what I want to do and I kept going I guess he was trying to see whatmy grind was like and you know some people don’t like when your head gets big and you start to feeling yourself and that’s the type of person he is so that was a hard thing to do but other then that I keep going on and on with him kept fucking with him did a little scene in the bloodline movie and we were doing the sound track and I was playing a big part of that helping out with it and he eventually gave me a contract and we went from there

24: As a matter of fact with your hit single ‘Shone,’ can you describe how that came about and can you give us your definition of the word for you’re out of town fans if they don’t already know?

Ballgreezy: With the song, ‘Shone,’ me and Tek was in the studio one day and he was making a beat I didn’t tell him that I like it, I was just listening and as he kept going and building it. He was telling me the beat wasn’t finished and I told him I wanted it so he said ‘Okay let me see what you can come up with,’ he was going to sell that beat I’m not going say who he was going to give it to, but I got it now, so he was supposed to sell it but he gave me copy of it and I came back 3 days later and I told him to play the beat for me and him and Fentz was in the studio and I was like I have something for you so they said, ‘Let me hear it,’ I asked Tek if he likes it, can I have the beat, he like ‘Just let me hear it,’ so I went ahead and rapped it for him and they were feeling it and they said ‘We have to record that,’ and we dropped it and they told me to hold it and when I recorded it they told me it’s tight work we just have to mix it down. I asked for a copy so I can listen to it in the car so I took that same copy and went straight to the strip club and I let them play it in the club and I stayed playing it in the club and they kept saying Greezy ‘Don’t play the record, don’t play the record,’ me knowing that I’m trying to get on because I never waste no time. I kept playing it in the clubs and they kept saying Greezy the song isn’t ready and I’m saying the people telling me its ready to go, so I just kept going with it and then they just mixed it and I told them ok ya’ll mix it and we’re going to give them the mixed down version. ‘Shone’ for the people who don’t know is a good girl that parties hard, if you do for your kids and you do for yourself when you come out in the streets, you’re a shone and that’s my definition of a shone, so if you feel a certain way you shouldn’t feel bad when someone calls you a shone just put a little more twist in your walk and let them know your shoning.

24: Your second hit single ‘I’m the Shit,’ with the Opa-Locka goon Brisco, was also a club banger can you tell us how that came about?

Ballgreezy: Well one day we were in the studio with Tek and I had a session, but we didn’t have anything to record and I told him to let me hear some beats and Tek, he won’t let you hear the beat that he’s about to sell so when I ask him for beats I say let me hear the beats you’re going to sell, so he starts going through a catalog and he passed the beat and we kept listening to other beats and I said you know what, go back to that beat and I said I want to fuck with that beat right there. I started writing my verse and he said its sounds good but it sounds like some mix tape shit and I said, wait until you hear the hook so we did the hook and me and Tek was just vibin’ in there. When we did the hook, I said it sounds like Brisco, you know how you do a song and it sounds like somebody, that’s who I’m going to try to get to put on it. The next day I dropped the verse and the next day come to find out we had a meeting with Mike Caren about Atlantic and when we were about to leave brisco was pulling in and I told him I had something for him, so he said where it’s at so I gave it to him and he said he was going to record a song, but he was going to do that after so he might not do it that day. When he heard it he called me two hours later and said come get it I put the third verse on it the next day and I leaked that shit again they said they had to mix it I said when you give it to me they’ll stop playing the first one.

24: Now let’s get into the future of Ballgreezy, when should we be expecting an album from the Shone Originator?

Ballgreezy: The beginning of next year, that’s what we’re looking at right now. I have about six or seven songs that we’re working on I make hits, I’m not trying to just make album cuts things that sound straight, but doesn’t have single potential. I don’t aim for that, I aim for bangers and niggas don’t drop them everyday so I don’t record everyday; I don’t be in the studio everyday like rap niggas say I’m in the studio everyday all night. How are you going to be in the studio everyday; how is your shit going to get in the street, I’m in the streets with my shit, yeah we have a street team but I’m out there with them. It’s good when the artist has a relationship with the street team it’s cheaper that’s some advice for people out here trying to get shit started, tell your artist to get off his ass and stop depending on your check to get a nigga to play his shit tell his sorry ass to holla at the DJ himself. I found out it’s cheaper that way

24: With this album what themes do you plan on incorporating into it?

Ballgreezy: I’m doing me, a lot of people are doing what I did I don’t blame them though however you have to get on more power to you.I have an ear for music if you don’t know how to pick your beats you will be fucked up in this shit that’s why a lot of people can rap, but they don’t know how to make songs, I make songs and if you noticed I went from the ‘Shone’ vibe to some street shit, I’m the shit believe that. I don’t want to be known for the nigga that does this or that type if music I can do everything I give it my all on whatever I do, whatever you need I got you come holla at me, if it’s going to be right it’s going to be right enough for whoever your going to get to do it.
 

24: How would the fans go about contacting you to get to know you better or listen to your music?

Ballgreezy: I don’t know how your going to get to know me better, but to listen to my music you can go to myspace.com/ballgreezy305. I do answer my comments and messages every now and then, don’t get mad at me if I don’t because my manager deletes half of my stuff before I can get to it and I have to go through the trash and I see people I fuck with for real trying to get at me and I never get it, so when I see them in the streets they say that’s fucked up you never got back at me, but really I never get it because it’s in the trash.

24: Thank you for providing 24hourhiphop.com with this long overdue exclusive interview, do you have any last words for your current or future fans? Shout outs?

Ballgreezy: If you see me in the streets holla at me, I’m not boojie, I’m just confident about a lot of shit so don’t get the wrong idea about me I’m always down to take pictures and snap them up, talk to my people, and kiss babies. All shout outs to the whole little Haiti, I am a CEO now, the whole islands, everybody supporting my movement and everybody who stood by me since day one and has faith in me.