Plies’ Definition Of Real

The outspoken Florida rapper explains the heavy content on his sophomore album and takes aim at biased journalists.

Interview By DJ Treats

Like all rappers, Plies has something to say. But what sets the outspoken MC apart is his how he speaks his mind. On the Fort Myers, Florida MC’s debut album, The Real Testament, he made folks stand up and pay attention to the street-anthem “100 Years,” where he took aim at unfair sentencing laws and made liberal use of the word “cracker.” Over 500,000 others bought it, and his honesty quickly made him your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. His sophomore effort Definition Of Real recently hit stores, and it sold twice as many copies in its first week than his debut, thanks to the crossover Ne-Yo duet “Bust It Baby (Part 2).” To get some insight into the concepts behind the new album, Complex sat down with the humble MC. All eyes on Plies.

Complex: Was it difficult coming up with new topics after you covered so much on the first album?

Plies: Not really. The subject matter from The Real Testament was my life—it’s full of that kind of material. But for me to make sure I deliver the street classic album in a different way, that was my own personal challenge. “Worth Goin Fed Fo” is something that I know the streets is part of. Niggas hustle everyday, but is it really worth what you getting out of the streets? Like is the end result—25, 30 years—really worth two cars, large jewelry, a lotta women, and $20,000? I always tell my homeboys, “If a muthfucka was to offer you cash right now and tell you, you could spend it however you want to spend it but after you spend it, you have to get me 20 years in prison…”

C: Probably not.

Plies: Niggas wouldn’t take that. They’ll be like, “Fuck you! Nah, I’m straight I’d rather be free.” But these niggas go to prison for twenty years and never even see a tenth of a million dollars. And for me to bring that to light? There wasn’t a record like that on The Real Testament.

C: Tell me about “Somebody Loves You”.

Plies: “Somebody Loves You” is on the emotional side, talking about, regardless of how much money you got, you can be broke. But at the end of the day, we all have our problems and we all go through struggles, and it’s good to know, and remind the consumer that regardless of how tough you get, somebody will love you. And that wasn’t on the first album.

A record such as “1 Day” is talking about losing somebody—whether it’s a family member or a homeboy—and just wishing you could bring him back one day to just show them how different shit is. How the person that they was in love with on the female side, they life go on after you die. The niggas that you run the streets with, they life go on after you die. Your kids that’s left to face the societal pressure on their own.

C: Your content can be pretty heavy at times. Are you ever worried about going over people’s heads?

Plies: First of all, I salute you for feeling that is heavy content. That’s why I always look at BET or MTV to see what people pick and choose to talk about. It’s repetitive because [the same] people already talked about it. But it’s weird to me because it’s so many problems in the world, it’s easy to come up with different subject matters that people want to hear about.

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