In anticipation of the 2010 VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South, which airs on June 7, Complex and Miss Info have teamed with the network to celebrate this year's honorees with exclusive coverage.
Thanks to a roster that has included the Geto Boys, Scarface, and Devin The Dude, it was almost impossible not to be influenced by James "J. Prince" Smith's Rap-A-Lot Records if you grew up listening to rap in the South. The Houston native started the label in 1986, and has released more than 100 albums since, including all the classics we counted down in our latest feature, The 25 Greatest Rap-A-Lot Songs Of All Time. With J. Prince getting honored at this year's Hip Hop Honors, we got the current King of the South, T.I., to talk about the Rap-A-Lot legacy and his first memories of the Geto Boys...
As Told to Toshitaka Kondo
"My first memory of [Rap-A-Lot] was hearing the Geto Boys' 'Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me.' People everywhere were bumping that. Scarface, too. I was on Mr. Scarface Is Back, the first one. [J. Prince and I] see each other. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration. The first time I met him face-to-face, oddly enough, is when I got into the situation with [Lil Flip] out in Houston. He went through the troubles and the extremes of trying to sit us down to squash it. I might have spoke to him on the phone before that, but that was definitely the most memorable. It was right after the day I showed up in Cloverland.
"[With Scarface] I just reached out and told him how much I respected his legacy and his ability [when I was making Down With The King.] After that I did [a song with] him that wasn't released, and he did one with me, him, and Keri Hilson for T.I. vs. Tip. I actually met Bun when I was working on my first album, I'm Serious. He was on the remix for [Killer Mike's] 'Re-akshon' with me. After that, we got cool. Then we did '3 Kings' and 'Front Back.' That was a really special record, to have a UGK feature and re-make a UGK record, and they gave me their blessings. Down South, UGK was to us, if not Run-DMC, definitely EPMD. Geto Boys was equivalent to N.W.A.
"In Texas, [Rap-A-Lot] is the best to do it. J. Prince showed niggas how to run companies. What Master P did, he did first. What's I'm doing or Baby and Slim, that model came from J. Prince and Rap-A-Lot. It's just a matter having your own company, running your own shit, cutting your own checks, counting your own money, and being your own boss."
RELATED: The 25 Greatest Rap-A-Lot Songs Of All Time
NWBICHTE$ May 27th, 2010 at 04:20 PM
LIL FLIP "AHEAD OF MY TIME" JULY 6TH , Z_RO & FLIP : KINGS OF THE SOUTH 2 COMING SOON OWWWWWW WEEEE
kev-o May 28th, 2010 at 09:28 PM
Man on some real shit, i dont feel like VH1 is gonna hold it down for the south, they dont no wat go down down here, they dont understand this screw shit, this comin down shit , this holdin
Niquepoo May 28th, 2010 at 10:12 PM
VH1 is the only station holding it down and truly honoring hip hop in a classy way. Keep it up!
ladylove May 29th, 2010 at 11:08 PM
I look forward to watching the Hip Hop awards on VH1 it should be quite entertaining. And further more it's about time they represent the south. :) Congrads to all the down south rappers for putting us on the map.
hitmayne May 30th, 2010 at 12:23 AM
J-Prince dipped in a little... Master P Took the ball and ran for the touch down pass... be real with yourself T.I.... People wouldnt listen to DOWN SOUTH MUSIC like they do...IF PEOPLE LIKE MASTER P didnt do all the serious leg work to get it the shine it did in the 90's thats just the damn truth!
nobeast504 May 30th, 2010 at 12:27 AM
another fact hitmayne, No Other Independent Down South Rapper has every sold as many records or has ever mad as much money as "MASTER P" has, dude laid the blueprint for todays down south artist, seems maybe T.I. has a lil P envey, We All Know Who THE Original KING OF THE SOUTH IS,and that dude drove a tank!
dawg 329 May 30th, 2010 at 07:14 AM
shawty tip just said some real shit all yall p lovers cant take nothin from the man but he been doin that shit, scarface,yukmouth,u.g.k.,geto boys just a few that man cant be fucked wit gone.
texas410&sun June 1st, 2010 at 10:01 PM
Jay Prince deserves his shine, dude had the south on lock in the south, but it was the NO LIMIT era that really put the south on the map...P took that shit to the world...and since then the world been buying south music more than any other coast, got me thinking bout them days Master P, Tru and UGK and DJ Screw got togther, some of the best street SOUTH music came out that era.
hitmayne June 1st, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Master P #1 Hustle that ever came to the Rap Game...if u doubt that please download the "Master P - Respect My Game Mixtape" T.I we got love for yea u got some hits....But No matter what P put this shit on the map!! and its bout time the honor the Tru KING OF THE SOUTH!!
gutta310 June 1st, 2010 at 10:07 PM
hip hop honors is gon be tha shit I hope they perform some classics i with yall ghetto d gotta be the #1 south album of all time