After spending the day with Choppa in his own backyard, the West Bank of New Orleans, OZONE had the opportunity to find out why he left Master P’s New No Limit, formed his own label, and signed with Roy Jones’ Body Head Entertainment. With his new single, “Hot Piece,” gaining momentum quickly throughout the region, he is preparing to release “The Real Choppa” in May 2004.
What led you to strike out on your own? You left Master P, started your own label Street Balla Records, and signed with Roy Jones Jr’s Body Head Entertainment?
I’m trying to change, and I want to do what’s right by rappers. What I mean is that there’s a lot of labels out here eating off rappers. At the same time, I feel that if you have talent, you should show the world. It don’t make sense for you to eat by yourself. There’s a lot of people out here that know how to rap, and instead of thinking, “This one’s gonna be bigger than me so I’m not going to deal with him,” I feel like, “This one could really blow up and help our record label.” You never know. A lot of people are scared to take chances. That’s what I’m trying not to do. Whatever it is, if we have the money, we gonna do it.
What kind of artists are you looking for?
All artists. It don’t matter what kind. On my label I have a cat called Brown Cassius B, Money, Tim Smooth, Baby Boy, and Freeze. That’s my starting five that I’m working with. Most of them are my boys from the West Bank, but they’ve got talent. I was somebody’s boy with talent and look at me. You never know what can happen. I’m going to start making it happen for me and my people to eat for real.
How did you end up signing your deal with Roy Jones’ label, Body Head Entertainment?
Just being hot out here in the streets. I just kept doing my thing. I’m happy right now, really satisfied with the position that i’m in.
Tell me about your upcoming album, “The Real Choppa.”
All of the songs say something. You may be in the mood to hear this one, or that one. On this album here I show my versatility for real. I show that I can do more than two or three things. You won’t listen to this album and say there are two nice songs on it. I didn’t rush it. I took my time and the chemistry with the songs just came right there.
What’s the first thing people are going to say when they hear this album?
They going to say, “I didn’t know that boy could rap like that.” That’s what I want them to say. Everybody’s thinking that Choppa’s just “Choppa Style” and that’s all they going to hear. A lot of people think that’s all I’m about. They saw the video. I don’t want to be classified as having one style of rapping. I’m really versatile.
What producers did you work with on your album?
From New Orleans, I got Soulja, Precise, and Sinista, and in Pensacola, I got Perion and Timmy Fingaz, that’s Body Head. I kept it home. You know Pensacola has adopted me now.
Master P picked you and now Roy Jones signed you, what is it about you?
It’s that ambition that keeps me going. If that many are people looking at me and seeing the potential, there’s something there. I need to keep going and keep that drive. You know I got myself hot from the beginning, from day one. I always worked the streets at first with no management. Nowadays I’m just glad, working with Master P and Roy, that I’m able to work with different artists.
What was it like the first time you saw yourself on BET?
Oh man, I just thanked the Lord. I was like, I finally did it. But that still wasn’t enough for me. I want more. That was just the beginning. The dooor was finally open for me and I have the chance to do what I want to do and I don’t have to answer to nobody. I don’t have to work no 9 to 5. ‘Cause I couldn’t keep no job, from the mall to fast food. God blessed me with this talent, so I’m going to make sure I use it to the best of my ability.
A lot of New Orleans rappers get into trouble, like Mystikal’s situation, Master P’s bankrupcy. What’s going on with New Orleans rappers?
We’re from the streets, so we speak what we see. A lot of them don’t want to look at it from a bigger perspective. Look out the box. I believe that if the right people would have got on top in New Orleans first, we all would’ve been alright. But you’ve got people on top first that wasn’t about seeing nobody else make it. They just wanted to keep it all for themselves. Now this time around, if everybody survives, we’ll be alright. ‘Cause we really coming together and I respect it. The chemistry with me and Juvie, when we did our song, it just came like that. When I work with B.G., it always come out tight. A lot of us need to get on that page as far as working together, instead of hatred. It’s not about that. The people in the streets respect you being real. They don’t respect nothing fake and the streets let you know. That’s why people fall, because they not showing love back to the streets. As long as you give back, you always going to get back. You’ve gotta make sure you pay your dues in the streets too, not just in the industry.
What does being from the West Bank of New Orleans mean?
The Mississippi River divides the East Bank and the West Bank. I’m from the West Bank, from Bishop to Kennedy Heights. Across the river you have Magnolia, Calliope, that’s all you hear about from New Orleans. But we from the side that’s real country. Everybody’s real family. We stick together.
This business isn’t the easiest to be in. What keeps you so passionate about this industry?
It’s a risk to take, but at the same time, good things come to those that wait. The rappers out here from New Orleans, we’re all getting together finally. Like ATL’s doing it. Down here, there wasn’t that for a long time. I’mjust glad that everyone’s getting on the same page.
Ten years from now, where do you want to be?
I want to be sitting up, enjoying life. I have a 17-month old son and I just want to raise him right. I don’t want him to go through what I went through. I want to show him a better life. I want to have enough money to take care of my family.
