Shawty Pimp

Kool kat surving Small Talk 

The Kool Kat: Hey, hello.

Shawty pimp: Yo, hello.

The Kool Kat: Hey.

Shawty pimp: Yo, what's happening, man?

The Kool Kat: I'm good. Nice to finally meet you, man.

Shawty pimp: Yeah. One second, man. One second.

The Kool Kat: Take your time. Take your time. Take your time.

one eternity later

Shawty pimp: Yo, I'm here, man Sorry about that, bruh.

The Kool Kat: No, it's fine. Take your time. No rush. By the way, 

Shawty pimp: how you doing?

The Kool Kat: I'm good. I'm very good And, bro, again, nice to finally talk to you .And, again, very cool studio out of 10. I'll give it a solid 10. Again, I'm happy you're here.  It's not too long of an interview, so take your time.

No rush. And for me, just really a chance to get to know your music and you as a person as well. So, again, welcome to the neighbourhood, kool kats Cats. I'm the guy who makes everything. And yeah. 

Shawty pimp: How do you pronounce your name?

The Kool Kat: Oh, don't worry, don't worry. So it's three syllables, three syllables. Chi-eh-meh.

Shawty pimp: Chi-eh-meh, Chi-eh-meh? Chi-eh-mehee?

The Kool Kat: Not quite right. Say chi.

Shawty pimp: Chi.

The Kool Kat: Say eh.

Shawty pimp: Eh.

The Kool Kat: Meh.

Shawty pimp: Chi-eh-meh.

The Kool Kat: AYYYY, you got it right. Chi-eh-meh.

Shawty pimp: Chi-eh-meh yeah!

The Kool Kat: So I'm Nigerian, but I live in UK just for school. After I'm done with school, I'm going back to Nigeria for work ( cap )

The Kool Kat: But yeah, just to get us rolling and everything. The question I have for you, the first question I have for you actually is, 

The Kool Kat: what were your first expectations when you first entered the game? And has your goals and achievements been met since you had your career?

Shawty pimp: You said my first what now? You got to excuse my voice, man. My voice is a little down.

The Kool Kat: No, no, no, no. It's fine. It's fine ha ha 

Question 1

When you first entered the game as a rapper, what were your first initial goals when you entered the game? And over the past couple of decades since you've been in the game, has all your goals and achievements been met over the years?

Shawty pimp: man when we first, you know, first getting into the game, man, we didn't really have no big, you know, thinking that someone was going to come of it. Just being young and, you know, those resources, you had to have a record label, actually have a real record label deal, you know, when I was coming up. So the way we was making music and what was going on at that time, we really didn't think nothing would come of it.

But, you know, kind of sitting back waiting on record deals and stuff like that. So you really didn't think nothing would come of it. But we had goals of, you know, putting together a good catalog just constantly putting out music.But I can say now things are turning around now with the emergence of the internet. So before the internet came out, it was real slow, man. It wasn't too much going on. But since the emergence of the internet, I can say some of my goals have been met. And we're working on a new set of catalogs for the future.

The Kool Kat: Well, I'm down to listen to your catalog in the future. I was going to ask you this later, but, you know, you said the internet helps you, you know, achieve your goals throughout your career, especially recently. I know, because I read this before, on an article about you is that you first sold cassettes of your tapes around Memphis.

Question 2

How was that experience compared back then to now? Like, you know, taking it real slow, people using cassettes and mixtapes, and, you know, move forward to the modern era now and you just post a song online. Like, how has that shift for you? Especially someone who has been in the game for a long time?

Shawty pimp: Man, it was, it was, it's a big difference because, you know, like I said back then, you just had to go, be physically with your copies and stuff.

So, so if you wanted, if you wanted your music in, let's just say, Mississippi, you have to physically go to Mississippi with your copies.

If you wanted to go to Texas, we from Memphis, so if you wanted to go to Texas, you have to physically go to Texas, uh, to promote your music or give out copies or if you had a pool of DJs you was working with, you have to mail your music to them. You have to mail it to em for it to reach their market. So today, you got a phone. If I want to go to Texas, I can put an ad in Texas and I'll be in Texas with my music.

If I want to go to California or promote to California, you just run ads and stuff like that. So You got all the markets in your hand now. Versus back then, you would have to go there physically.

The Kool Kat: Sorry. First of all, Im happy you're on the call. It's so crazy hearing that because I'm 22 years old. So, like, all I know is the internet, you know?

Shawty pimp:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The Kool Kat: It's kind of crazy.

Like, it's like you have to physically go there, manually go there. I know, like, it's not that crazy to think about, but, like, wow. That's really cool.

Question 3

In terms of your first cassette you sold physically, would you say you're proud of that cassette the first time you sold it physically?

Or are you kind of like, no I won't say embarrassed, but would you say that's a good starting point for where you are now?

Shawty pimp: Absolutely, absolutely. It built character. It definitely built a lot of character. And for someone to reach in their pocket and give you some money for it, There was a whole lot of motivation, a whole lot of inspiration as well.

So it was a respect thing. Like I said, it built a lot of character, put a lot of respect in you for your consumer, for the fans and stuff.

The Kool Kat: Even the craft as well, like, makes it more meaningful as well. I do understand that.

Shawty pimp: Absolutely.

The Kool Kat: I saw this online when I was doing research about you, is that 

Question 4

When you started making music, you started making music in your parents' house. And, like, how was that process? And, you know...

Again, not to assume anything, but your first name is Malik. So I'm guessing your parents are Muslim, or you come from a Muslim background. How was that experience making music at home? And were your parents ever against you making music? And even getting your equipment, like your Genesis DS-124 as well, how was that process? And how did you get it started? And were there any emotions that... I guess, made you scared from embracing music fully as a career?

Shawty pimp: Well, my parents was my, I would say, my biggest supporters.

The Kool Kat: Oh, wow.

Shawty pimp: They were very supportive of the music. And so they allowed me to come in and record, bring my homeboys in the house and record. Man, we was back there doing all kind of rapping, all kind of cussing and, you know what I'm saying, stuff like that as kids.

And so that was very supportive. They didn't come in and say, hey, man, you need to cut that out or Need to stop that.

They just kind of let us do our own thing and kind of learn as we went. And as far as me being Malik, my daddy was a black nationalist.

So, and he, we listened to a lot of Malcolm X growing up. So I was asking the name after Malcolm X. He would play Malcolm X tapes around the house. And so I was named after Malcolm X.

So he wasn't a Muslim, but he definitely, he definitely put the knowledge of self You know what I'm saying?

You had to put that knowledge itself in me.

The Kool Kat: That's actually kind of beautiful to hear.

Yeah. Again, my bad for assuming things about you. I just wanted to get the whole picture in my head, if you know what I'm saying.

My bad, but I was going to ask, because your first rap names was Malik and M19

Question 5

Why did you change your rap name to Shawty Pimp?

Shawty pimp: It was the other way around. It was the other way around.

The Kool Kat: Oooo Okay, okay. The other way around.

Shawty pimp: Shawty Pimp was first. I was actually Shorty Mac, Shorty Mac 92, and I transitioned into Shawty Pimp.

But M19 came after Shawty Pimp. I just was growing. We was just growing as artists. So I just felt like being named Shawty Pimp, it kind of put me in a box. And I like artists that use their real names. You know what I'm saying? So I'm a fan of artists that use their real names, especially in rap.

The Kool Kat: Kendrick Lamar 

Shawty pimp: especially in rap. So it was something like that. I wanted to be, you know what I'm saying? I wanted to, you know, be myself.

The Kool Kat:Yeah, more authentic.

Shawty pimp: You know, like I say, it was a growth thing.

I felt like Shawty Penn was, you know, like in the box. So M19 came from my name, Malik, and my birthday, which is July 19th. So that was like, you know, so I just wanted something more universal, you know.

So that's pretty much where the name change came from.

But it's interesting that you thought M19 was first.

The Kool Kat: No, because, like, with Malik, I thought, like, you know, this is your first name. Okay, that's my rap name at first. Then you moved to Shorty Pimp. Okay, fair enough But, like.

Question 6

Why did you keep the label Shorty Pimp? You know, even if, you know, it puts you in a box, if you say.

Shawty pimp: Well, what happened with the Shorty Pimp name, right, with the mixtapes and all that stuff, like I said, man, we didn't really think nothing would come of it.

The Kool Kat: mhmmm

Shawty pimp:  So before, you know, so when the internet, you know, the emergence of the internet, the shawty Pimp mixtaps started leaking on YouTube.

Fans of the mixtape started putting it on YouTube, you know, and stuff like that. So it was like, I would say something like 2017, 2016, I started getting the fans of the shawty Pimp music, you know, sending me messages in my inbox.

So it was a business decision. It was a business decision to go back to Shawty pimp since it would be easier. So it was pretty much a business decision. Once I started realizing that people knew the shawty pimp name, so I ran, I just came back to it.

And a lot of people, and it was a lot of people, you know, kind of making money off the name and stuff. So I kind of, and it was other artists using that name. So I kind of was like, man, let me go back and brand my brand. So it was pretty much a brand that I had that was just sitting there that I had to claim.

The Kool Kat: Man, I'll say it's a very lucrative brand. I'm big fan of your music. I'll say that for a fact. I would say your music is like a fine wine. It can never go bad. 

Shawty pimp: yeah yeah 

The Kool Kat: I'll say that for a fact. I want to ask, 

Question 7

So if Shorty Pimp, the name, the label, the brand, never got that buzz online, would you ever go back to Shorty Pimp or even M19 to make music?

Shawty pimp: It would have been M-19. It would have been M-19 for sure.

The Kool Kat: Okay. But would M-19's music sound different than ShawtyPimps music.

Shawty pimp: It did. It did. Yeah, it changed a little bit. I still try to keep the playing and some of the pimping in it. But the M-19 was definitely a little different than the Shorty Pimp music. So I've just been trying to find a balance between the two. So I just released a project called Good Game Shorty Pimp featuring M-19. So it's pretty much songs with the, you know, that I was recording under the M19 umbrella. So I'm just merging the two, you know, so people know, you know, that's pretty much the same guy.

The Kool Kat: Definitely check it out after this interview, everything.

Question 8

Is M19 more so like a growth thing as a person and musically? Obviously, shawty Pimp was your first name, but M19 is a later name you picked out. Do you still rep M19 more so like this is something that I've grown into and less of just a name.

Shawty pimp: Well nahh-, I was actually been M19 longer than Sheldon Pimp, but we rolling with shawty Pimp. We go roll with shawty Pimp.

Like I say, M19, I would call it like my alias or something, so to speak, like an alias or something.

You know, you got a lot of artists that just got different nicknames and stuff, so. I put that on the umbrella, just another, you know, like a nickname or alias. Yeah, but we're going to roll with the shawty pimp on right now. 

The Kool Kat:man i fuck with shawty pimp heavy, That's a sick name.

The Kool Kat: Just to go back a little bit to what you said before about your parents, because when you told me your parents were very supportive about your career, I'm very blown away by that.

It's not because where you're from, it's because usually parents are not the most supportive figures when it comes to creative endeavors.

When... 

Shawty pimp: Right 

Question 9

when you first made music in  your parents home, you know, your parents supported you making music. Was this more so your parents were like, “ This is something that you're really good at, and I pushed you towards that goal?” Or were you like, “ Mom and dad, this is something I want to do, and you support me in this”. How was that, like, talk with your parents?

Shawty pimp:  Well, they just, whatever I wanted to do, they really didn't know much about the music business.

So it's really not too much they could do.

but, you know, support, you know, some of the needs that I, you know, need at the time.

You know, so that's pretty much was it. That's whatever I needed, they'd come in and help me and support me with it, you know, as a teenager and stuff like that. So it was basically on me what I needed. So once they, you know, they was just always supportive of it tho 

The Kool Kat: Amazing parents right there. Amazing parents. Amazing parents. appludes You know,  I was going to say, I'll ask you something real quick about Memphis and just growing up in that environment.

Question 10 

Would you say that when you're younger in Memphis, obviously different time era than now, that people were rapping for the artistry and just rapping for the image and just for the clout, if you know what I'm saying?

Like, in that, when you were growing up there, were you more encouraged to just be an actual artist and rap your music or...

just to have that image that I make music and like, I do stuff in the side. How was this more so pushed towards you?

Shawty pimp: Well, I always wanted to be an artist, you know?

So it was just, you know, like I say, a lack of resources that kept us from getting to that next level. But at the same time, I always wanted to be the artist. And, you know, as far as Memphis and music, like, you know, it's a lot of people that do it just for that image. But over time, they seem, they'll fall off. They seem to fall to the wayside. Because if it ain't in you for real, you really don't want, you know, you ain't gonna stick with it.

So the fact that I've always wanted to be an artist, I always wanted to be in the business, whether it was producing, or whether it was rapping, whether it was writing for people, I always felt, whether it was being a manager, managing artists, I always wanted to have some kind of role in the music business.

The Kool Kat:Yeah DAMN. Very inspiring, very inspiring.

Question 11

When it comes to producing and making beats, was your sound always tied to Memphis and what was going down in that era?

Or were you always interested in branching out your sound and trying out new elements to make your sound more authentic to you?

Shawty pimp: Yeah, yeah. I liked it. I like different sounds of, of, of production and stuff. I bumped everything. We bumped, we bumped the New York sound, the Eric B's and the RaKim's and the EPMD's and the LL Cool J's, uh, which, which was my favorite rapper as a kid.

Um, we also bumped the West Coast, you know, the Dr. Dre's, Snoop's. And of course we was bumping the South side, you know, the Texas underground, the Scarface's, all that.

So we hearing all this and, uh, and, uh,It just makes you want to, you know, create your own sound and create your own style and flow.

So that's pretty much what it was at that.

The Kool Kat: Would you ever branch out to different genres of music like rock or even like dnb bass? Because I feel like with what I'm hearing now, obviously you talk about different sounds in America, New York, Southern America as well. But I feel like, in my opinion, you don't have to take it face value. Your music would sound really good on a DNB beat, like a Jamaican bass. I think that's something that really resonates with your music. 

Question 12

But have you ever thought about changing up your genres in terms of sound or just sticking to what you know?

Shawty pimp: Well, I would prefer what's been, what I prefer, artists that are familiar with those different genres to remix my stuff.

I think it'd come out better. Like it's been a couple, I've been a couple of remixes from different genres. I think it'd come out better that way. If, you know, producers from those genres go in and remix it.

But, yeah, man, I'd be open to different stuff like that. Absolutely. Most definitely. Yeah, that'd be dope.

The Kool Kat: Yeah. I think it'd be really cool. I think it'd be really cool.

Especially, like, because the way you make your music, again, I've said it before in an interview, but, like, it is very refreshing, especially in this time and age of rap music. Like, it's the most... it's just, I can't even describe it because it's so refreshing to hear in a sense where like, it's so chill, but packs a punch in every bar you write. Very impressive.

Question 13

But when you're making music early on in your career, what motivated you? Like in the sense of what emotions were you feeling? What were you going through in your own personal life that made you make music more? Because everyone can make music, but like, Everyone's intention behind making music is very different. So how was yours when you were younger?

Shawty pimp: Yeah, well, growing up in Memphis, man, it was a little, it was very, very challenging. You know, the streets of Memphis was very rough, man. It was a lot, you know, a lot of hustling going on. And I had a lot of street friends. And so, you know, just growing up in Memphis and seeing what was going on in the streets, you just come home and you write about what you saw in the streets and what was going on. So it was pretty much stuff growing up in the streets of Memphis and just putting it in our music. So when I listen back, when I go back to the shawty Pimps songs, it's really a lot of Memphis.

It's a whole lot of Memphis energy in it. So it's really coming from the streets of Memphis.

The Kool Kat: That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. Again, I've never been to America before. Actually, I've never been to America. I only...

I've only lived in Nigeria and UK, so Memphis a whole different world for me. I mean, I like the music, Three 6 mafia, everybody in that genre of music, but that was very refreshing to hear.

forshawing we shoot and dont score :(

The Kool Kat: I was going to ask about the way you make music and your process behind making music. Like, from when you're younger to when you're older, when you were younger, would you say you were more organized and when you approached music would you set like time goals and days to make music or was it like very like sparatic and compared to now do you have the same method you did when younger or more so like this is something that i do as a full-time job and do you have to create your schedules and everything how does that work?

Shawty pimp: uh well back then um we uh damn that was a good question. I almost lost question but uh

The Kool Kat: ha no its fine

Shawty pimp: yeah repeat run it back one more time 

The Kool Kat: No, no, it's fine. Like,

Question 14 

When you're making music, when you were younger, um, how was the process making music?

Were you, was it more organized, or was it more spontaneous with when you, um, went to the booth and made a song?

Was it more organized? And fast forward to now, is it the same thing, same process when you're younger, or it's more so spontaneous

Shawty pimp: well I would say when we was younger, it was spontaneously organized because the way I made music, like I didn't have where you can save it down to reels and stuff.

So when we was making music, we was recording straight to cassette. So whatever record or whatever beat I made that day, and we had to record it because I didn't have no way of saving it.

So that was my way of saving it was recording it to cassette. So as far as being organized with it, it was whatever we recorded that day, that's what went on the tape.

The Kool Kat: mhmmm

Shawty pimp: So it wasn't like we was making songs and going in and picking the best one. It's like, no, whatever beat we made that day and whatever song we did that day, that's what went on the tape.

And that just was our process. So we made maybe a song, two songs a day. you know, weekends come and, you know, we probably won't make some, but the next week come, song today, couple songs a day, each day. So that was the process. But now it's just, it's a lot of going to how I feel now. You know, I like to make music off how Im feeling. Like I can be having a cup of coffee and an idea of something come to me and I go in the studio and I, put down, write down an idea or make a beat to the idea or try to find a sound for that idea. So it's a little more, it's a little more, it's a little more of how im feeling today. You know what I'm saying? I like to be inspired. I like to have a feeling, you know what I'm saying?

 you know, it's kind of rough to just come in here and just make music. You know what I'm saying? I had to feel it. You dig what I'm saying? So it's more of a feeling now. Back then it was just, we was, we were so excited. We were so happy to be, just to hear the playbacks, just to hear ourselves rapping. So we was just, you know, picking records out, making music, doing songs, going to the next one. Now it's a more of feeling type of process. You know, if I might not make music for weeks, you know what I'm saying, then all of a sudden I get a feeling, and now I'm locked in for a week. You know what I mean? So it's all about feeling, how I feel.

The Kool Kat:Yeah. Fair enough. I do hear that. I do hear that.

I mean, I think that's the difference between people that are in it for the love of the game and just in it for the money and attention because you're taking your time with it.There's no rush. And that's how the best music is actually made because it's fully organic Back to cassettes. and recording music. 

Question 15

Have you ever lost some really, really good songs just because the cassettes malfunctioned or it broke or the tapes inside it just fused together?

Shawty pimp: Man, the way I lost songs, the way we lost songs was, like, we had these tapes. We would record to these tapes. And once we finished, we had a master. So not knowing what was going to come of these tapes in the future, I would record over them.

So that's the way I would lose songs. You know what I'm saying? So I would  Like I'd go back and listen to some of my masters and I had recorded over some of the songs.

I didn't lose that many, but the little small stuff I did, like you looking for a tape, you need a little space to record something.

So “ah lemme”, you know, and, but you didn't, you're not realizing you're recording over your master copy. You know what I'm saying? So it was just not knowing better, not knowing no better.

And so that's the way I lost songs like that. So, yeah.

The Kool Kat: Fair enough. One more thing real quick. Sorry. Sometimes like I, Sometimes like I go back and forth or I pause.

I'm getting like five calls at the same time right now. That's why I keep calling.

Shawty pimp:You good bro

The Kool Kat: Just to be clear  But, you know, like my question that I had written down, just what I want to say real quick.

Question 16 

You know, I think many artists after a long time forget how to use inspiration as assets for their music.I know you said right now you woke up outside, take a coffee, you just have a good day and you make that into music. Like, how do you keep that longevity of ideas in your head as you're making music? I know it sounds easy, but it's easier said than done, you know? And people struggle with that. How do you, you know, function like that?

Shawty pimp:Well, I write from life experiences, you know what I'm saying?So...I just try to dig into my thoughts and my ideas as far as what I've been through in life, what my family and friends have been through, you know, stuff like that. So, you know, I pull from life experiences. That's what keeps me fresh. That's what keeps me going.

Question 17

Has a breakup or a girl ever, like, influenced one of your songs before?

Shawty pimp: Oh, man, absolutely, man. Absolutely, man. We write, yeah, I write from everything. The girls, absolutely, man. The baby mama, the kids, you know, yeah, absolutely.

The Kool Kat: And what songs come to mind when I say that? 

Shawty pimp: What songs? Well, actually, those type of songs, they're kind of sitting in the vault. I got a few songs, but I speak on some relationship type stuff.But I'm in the process of re-releasing them. everything so that's that was the first 10 that i put out with the good gang featuring m19 

The Kool Kat: ooooo

Shawty pimp: so it's a lot of these songs that i've just been sitting on man that uh that i'm in the process of re-releasing again

The Kool Kat: after this interview, I'm going to listen to the whole tape.Um, real quick. So, you know, because your music, right? So when i first saw your Spotify page, I thought you were like, I thought you came from, like, the 2020s, like, 2010s.  I was very confused because the dates were very, very wrong.  (I didn’t think that tbh was just tryna prolong convo)

Question 18

So, like, how was the process of finding your old music and putting that into Spotify?I know it sounds easy, but, like, actually, like, manually finding the songs. Like, how was the process for you?

Shawty pimp: Well, the process for me, like you say, the dates to get a look, throw it off on some of them because it's all about how you upload them.Dealing with... This company out of LA, they're pretty much the only company that has uploaded my music through Spotify that I've done business with. They just put the year that they uploaded it on there. But it's a way you can do it to where you can push the actual year that the project was released. So the ones that I uploaded, I think I had 95 released in 2019. But after that, I realized, that you can actually upload it and put the actual year. So it's just a matter of not knowing, you know, new uploading, not knowing, you know what I'm saying? You know, so once I found out that you can actually put the actual date that the music was recorded, then you'll see the ones that, you know, that I saw put in the old dates on it that fit the right date.

The Kool Kat: Okay, fair enough it makes sense 

Shawty pimp: Or If we didn't do that, we would put the year on the project. So even though it said 2019,

You would see 1995, Shawty pimp, you know, big Pimp producers and something like that Yeah.

The Kool Kat: Fair enough. Oh, the more you know for real, man. You're putting me on game. Again, as well, with cassettes, I'm making music initially when you're younger.

SHOOTS BUT DIDN’T SCORE 

The Kool Kat: How was the first time, like, okay, how do you feel the first time when you went to a live show?

Like, how was that experience for you? Like, were you nervous? or Like, very confident. how was the process from sending cassettes to actually going on, you know, on tour or live shows?

Shawty pimp: What was it? You said, what was the, say that again?

Question 19

Oh, like, how was the feeling when you went on your first live performance after, like, you know, while sending cassettes or after that? Like, how was the feeling? Were you confident? Were you nervous? Did you have anxiety? How was it?

Shawty pimp: Man, it was, Imma tell you. Back then, we was excited. We always wanted to do shows, but my first show that I got paid, we had got paid for the show, and we was just, our minds were blown, man, because back then, man, it was hard to get shows and stuff.

You had to really have a record that was buzzing pretty good regionally, and we didn't have that type of exposure back then, so for us to get a show and to get paid for it, we felt like, hey, we can do this thing, you know what I'm saying? This is whats up So I would say it was a whole lot of excitement around it.  Today, I do get a lot of anxiety today because I'm really a chill back laid guy. I really don't like the attention. You know what I'm saying? So for the attention to be coming around now, I do at times get a little, you know, get a little anxiety. You know what I'm saying? Because like I said, I'm a laid back type of guy. I really don't like a lot of tension and I really don't, but being in this business, this part, they come with it, you know? So you got to be able to deal with it, you know?

The Kool Kat: I mean, yeah, that's fair. I mean, just take your time, take deep breaths. They help a lot. Yeah. don't think so much about it.

The Kool Kat:I was going to ask as well, you know, when you started making music and you got your gear, like your...your Gemini DS-124, if I'm saying that right, and your DR-650.

Shawty pimp:You talking about the sampler?

The Kool Kat:Sampler, yes, sampler.

Shawty pimp: Yeah, I didn't even realize. I just know it's a Gemini.

I didn't know the numbers to it 

The Kool Kat: Oh, fair enough.I was going to ask, like,

Question 20

How did you get your equipment, you know, starting early, and how was that process initially?

Shawty pimp:

Man, it was, well, when I got the BOSS-660 first,And I was so excited, man, that you can make beats in this one little thing right here. So I couldn't see past that. So I made my first mixtape with just that, which was the shawty pimp and MC Spade Volume 1. And after that, it was like, damn, man, what are we gonna to do about these? I got all these records. I would go sample some of these, get these records sampled. So that's when the Gemini came in.

And when I got that Gemini, man, it just, it just, I didn't know how to act then.

You know, we was all sampling like crazy then once I got that Gemini.

Question 21

First of all, what sound before you made, before you ever started producing, like inspired you to make beats the way you do?

And what's, what like sounds or rhythms do you use to make your own beats more, you know, better, I guess?

Shawty pimp: Well, back then it was more like the cowbells and the, the 808s and, you know, stuff like that. Those kinds of sounds that, that, that, that I like, I like bells and stuff like that too. So, um, that was a big inspiration.

Um, but as far as now,I like a lot of bass guitar. I like a lot of guitars and stuff like that in my, piano I like piano riffs, you know, stuff like that for now.

Um, so I'm, I'm, I'm working on some, um, some musicianship. I got some musicians that I'm looking at. We get ready to go in the studio and do some live stuff. So we're getting into some live band and live production.

The Kool Kat:I was going to ask you again about my question. I saw this on an article I read about you. And you said, I quote, fell in for life.

Is that something that you subscribe by to this day? or your outlook on life has changed?

Shawty pimp:  Say that again?

Question 22

I saw a quote you said on a magazine. It said, “felon for life”

Shawty pimp: A felon for life? I don't know about that quote. You see that on my quote? A felon for life. 

The Kool Kat: A felon for life.

Shawty pimp:  I don't know, man. You know, some stuff be that's out there. I don't know. It might have been Spade that said that. I don't know. I don't know. You know, I'm not sure.

The Kool Kat: I'm going to send you the article.

Shawty pimp:  Because I'm definitely not a felon.Yeah, but Spade even had some run-ins. He might have said, but yeah, send me that link. I need to see that.

The Kool Kat: I will. I will send you. Fair enough. I mean, all my questions are actually done, but before it ends, I'll shake up questions. Rap is, no offence, it's kind of a dying genre now. Not in the sense of, you know, people not making good music anymore, just the mainstream appeal of rap has gone down, obviously because of different factors, but

Question 23

How do you, how are you encouraged to make music the way you do?Obviously, we make music is refreshing, but it's a product of its time and product of its place as well.

What keeps you going while making music? Is it just the buzz you get or just actual love of the game? 

^40:10 time 

Shawty pimp:  Man, it's the love of the music, man.

I couldn't keep going this long if I didn't enjoy it and, you know, having the love for the music. Yeah, like you say, man, it definitely has changed. The genre gone down. I think a lot of that is on the consumer as well. You know what I'm saying? It's what they like. It's what they, you know, what entertains them. So a lot of people are just giving them what they want.

you know, but at the same time, I do that as well, but at the same time, I like to do what I like, you know, because, you know, the consumer box you in to one thing, you know, so that's what keeps me going. I'm always trying to do something different. Like I say, I do what I like at times, and like this project, this new project I just dropped, it's something I like, you know what I'm saying? It's not your typical shawty pimp  songs, but it's something I like, you know, but If I just only serve my fans what they want, then I wouldn't be able to grow as an artist. So it's just all about growth, man. It's all about growing and, you know what I'm saying, going to the next level with it, man. So, yeah, it's definitely a different time, man, with it going down. But also with it going down, we don't need major labels like we used to. So that's a lot , they got to do a lot with that. We're independent guys feeling like, hey, I can make a living on my own, put my own little team together. And so they're not selling their big records to these record labels anymore.See, back then, record labels would come. If you had a song popping, you had a song that's buzzing pretty good in the streets, a major label would come in and buy it.

and buy the rights of the song and take you as the artist or take your song to the next level. Because they had the means to do it. These days, we don't need them like we used to. So that's really what it comes down to. It's the fact that a lot of these guys go on an independent route.

And people will say, well, “instead of making $100,000, why not try to put yourself to make 5 million or 10 million.”

So people are accepting, hey, I can make a good living with just 100,000 a year versus I don't need 2, 3 million a year.

So people are just making the decision to be independent, move how they want to move, and do what they want to do.

So that's what really got it down in these records and that on billboards and all this stuff because guys, they're staying independent.

They're keeping their masters they keeping the ownership of their masters.

But that's the only way a major label can make some money, if they own it.

So, yeah, there's a lot of that going on.

The Kool Kat:Yeah, I do agree with that, because, like, I think for me, like, most times, signing, like, getting signed to a label is like signing your soul away. Because, it's funny, because the people, rappers that have, you know, the most chains, the most money, or the most cars etc, they can't even feed themselves, you know, on a good day, because they have no actual revenue. You just have, like, um, what's it called again? Um, residual checks. And even then it could be dry. So i do understand that.

Question 24 

But would you ever recommend an artist to go, um, to be signed at all? Or like, would you just say, just be, um, independent?

Shawty pimp: Man, hey man, man, that's, I don't like to tell artists what they should do you know what i'm saying they should you know sit back and weigh their options and, It really depends on how you want to be perceived as an artist and where you want to take it. Some people want to be the biggest artist in the world. So, yeah, you're going to have to team up with a major label to be there, to do that. Some people just like to stay in their own lane and be able to feed their family and make enough money to where they can support the people that's in that circle and that team. So it just depends on what you want as an artist. It depends on what you want.

Me personally, I don't have a desire to team up with major labels.

I don't have a desire. Because I know, you know, for one thing, they're going to want some ownership. And just, I like to move how I want to move. You know what I mean?

The Kool Kat:Of course.Real quick, I have to end the meeting now.

Because initially when I made the call, You weren't there, and I was tweaking with the Mac. So can I send you a new meeting to join? Is that okay?

Shawty pimp: Okay, okay, all right.

The Kool Kat: If you don't mind, just like an extra 10 minutes just to finish this off.

Shawty pimp: fosho

The Kool Kat: Thank you, thank you.