Lil’ Troy – Interview

What’s going on, Troy?

Hey, how’s it going? I’m just busy, busy, busy.

What do you think about the single, “Wanna Be A Baller”, blowing up as big as it is?

Absolutely phenomenal.

Did you expect this from the beginning?

No. The single was first released back in March or maybe even April. So it’s been a little while.

Why do you think it took so long to catch on like it has?

It hasn’t really taken a long time to catch on, though. Everybody that hears the song, and wherever we take the song to, and whatever the state we decided to let hear it for the first time was, it would blow up there as well.

Did you ever imagine that it would crossover into the pop market like it has?

No. Not in a million years.

So it’s safe to say that you never dreamed of doing a video that was aired on Mtv?

Yes, I never dreamed of me doing a video that would end up hitting on Mtv. (laughs) I couldn’t have expected that in my wildest. I loved doing the video though; it was definitely a lot of fun. It was just a lot of work and long days, like long sixteen and seventeen hour days, but it was a lot different than making music.

What do you think of the comparisons people are making between you and Master P of No Limit Records?

I don’t mind being in the light of his footsteps because I see some of the things that he has done that have worked and I want to try and take my things and innovate them and make them work also.

What made you start your label, Short Stop Records?

I was always the one investing the money in all of the groups and everything, and they don’t want to be doing interviews and going to dj’s and talking to them, so I just decided to invest the money into myself. I am the one who is putting out the groups and putting up the money already anyway. And right now I have three different artists and a movie that we are going to start casting for this week called Wanna Be A Baller, the movie, and I’m doing another movie that we start shooting in about three weeks called H-Town M.O.B.

So give me a little scoop on Wanna Be A Baller, the movie.

Oh, no. (laughing) We are going to keep that on the low. I can’t say because I don’t want anybody to start trying to do it like me.

On your album, you only rapped on four or five tracks. What was the reason behind that?

I was just showcasing other people’s talent and showing people how we can do music down here.

How do you feel about your hometown, Houston, supporting you as much as they have?

They love it. And I’m glad. Usually, if you get your hometown behind you, everybody else will come through. A lot of people think that they have to go outside their hometown and then come back home to be accepted, but I started here because if I can’t get my hometown people to like it, I sure can’t get nobody else to love it.

You have been involved in music your whole life; you were even involved in some bands early on.

Yes, I can’t recall all the names of them, but all I can remember is that people didn’t like to practice, and I used to be the one who would try and tell them to get it on. And then technology came through and we didn’t need to have horns and whatnot, we could just get drum machines and keyboards. And then Griff mainly plays all of the music and I am like the coach. I coach him and come up with ideas together with him, and we’ve been together since ’89, when we first did that Scarface track.

What are some of the goals you would like to accomplish with music?

I just want to continue to have success. For myself as an artist, I just want to continue to put out music that makes my fans happy. And from a label standpoint, I want to drop a lot of groups, which is my main priority. I want to be the man behind it and making it happen. You might say that I am like a Quincy Jones of rap. And watch out for the next single, “Where’s The Love At”. We are making the video for that song right now.

What are your plans to bring in the New Year?

Get drunk. I don’t think that I am going to do any shows though. People have called me and asked me to bring in the New Year with a show, but I don’t know. I just think that I will spend it with my girl and family and stuff.

+ charlie craine