B.G.:

Go ahead and introduce yourselves to our readers.
My name is B.G., better known as B-Gizzle, the number one original Hot Boy.

Tell us a little about your new release with your own label, Chopper City Records, through Koch, Life After Cash Money.
It’s my eighth solo project, and it’s my second album under Chopper City Records. It’s me at my best. It really is Life after Cash Money. I’m just telling my story, my life with Cash Money leading to my new life with Chopper City.

How has life after Cash Money been different than life with Cash Money was?
Life after Cash Money equals Chopper City Records for me. In life after Cash Money, there ain’t no more stuntin’ goin’ on. Shit’s real. You know it’s real, ‘cause if it ain’t real then it ain’t me. When I was with Cash Money there was a lot of artificial love. It wasn’t really what I thought it was. I thought it was gonna be Cash Money for life, but I was misled.

What was the atmosphere like at the beginning of Cash Money up until the point where you left?
I was there from the beginning. Cash Money was practically built on the back of B.G. before the major deal came around, before Juvenile came around. Before anybody started coming around, B.G. was the one putting up the independent numbers. I was the reason Universal gave us our deal. I was Cash Money, at one time. At first it was me, Baby, Mannie Fresh, and Slim.

So why weren’t you more involved in things from a business standpoint?
Baby and Slim founded Cash Money, and I was young. It was like eighty percent love, twenty percent business. Baby and Slim practically raised me. They took me from my mom when I was twelve years old. I put my whole life in their hands and I never questioned what they did ‘cause I thought they were really my family. Baby was like a father figure to me. When the millions of dollars got involved, that’s when he changed on me.

How did he change?
He’d always tell me, “Look, I got your money. I’m holding it for you, I don’t want you to blow it. As long as I got it you won’t want for nothing.” I never thought for one second that he’d do me like he did. He’d give me this, give me that, buy me this, buy me that. He always gave me just enough to where he’d know that I would have to come back and ask for more. He never gave me what I was supposed to have or what I should have gotten legally. He knew that if he gave me what I earned and deserved than I would do what I want whenever I want, buy what I want whenever I want it. he kinda birdfed me, but I thought it was cool. I was like, “Fuck, he my big brother.”

What’s the significance of your album cover showing a cemetery?
I was thugged out, you know? I felt like I was born with Cash Money, but I died and was reincarnated. That’s why it’s Life After Cash Money.

What’s your favorite track on the new album?
Really, I like the whole album, ‘cause the whole album is based on a true story. It ain’t just fantasizing, I’m rapping for a reason. The whole album came from my heart. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be track five: “Don’t Talk to Me.”

When you bump into the rest of the Cash Money members one-on-one, what’s that like?
I mean I really haven’t had any one-on-one’s unless you count Juvy. He left before I left. I saw Turk in jail, though. The other day I had a concert in Memphis and I went to see him. Baby never been to see him, no one been to see him, but I talk to him ‘cause before then he’d always call and check on me. I’m real like that. Me and [Lil’] Wayne had met up somewhere and went out, we snuck out to get something to eat. I’m suing Baby right now. I’ve got a case pending that’s in civil court. I hired some high-profile accountants from Los Angeles. They already found nine million dollars that they stole from me. I talked to Wayne and told him that he’s been there for a while and he ain’t getting what he supposed to be getting. I told him it might look good with a car here and a car there, but he not getting what he’s supposed to make. Look at us back in the game. We had a deal with Reebok before 50 Cent or Jay-Z. We had the Hot Boyz tennis shoes. Now look at Baby, he got a deal again and look at how he’s only promoting himself. He don’t want anybody bigger than him, he’s selfish. I’m like, fuck, I can help Wayne, so I just told him that I’m here for him with open arms and the fans will respect us more for standing on our own two feet and standing up to a nigga. As long as we’re up under his wing we ain’t getting nowhere. All he had to do was help us and put us in a position. If anything, it would have made sense for him to help us build under his umbrella but instead he trying to hold us back. He can’t lose Wayne right now ‘cause he’s the last Mohican.

If you had the opportunity and the money was right, would you go back to Cash Money?
I wouldn’t go back as a solo artist, but I’d do a Hot Boyz album. He gotta clear up his old bill first, though, then we could talk. If he gave me my money we could talk about a Hot Boy project.

Do you think you could have a good working relationship with Baby even after the lawsuit?
I’m strictly business. I got my own label, I’m doing pretty well. I just want what he owes me.

What was your relationship with Soulja Slim?
It was love. Me and Slim been knowing each other since elementary school. We used to get detention and we kinda grew up together. As we got older he was fuckin’ up, going back and forth from jail. When he got home I blew up and went platinum and shit. He went with No Limit. We had always wanted to do something together but Cash Money and No Limit wasn’t seeing eye to eye so our CEOs wouldn’t have approved it at the time. But when I left my situation and he left his situation, we hustled together.