We are in the midst of a month that commemorates and memorializes people and events in Black History. It was in 1921 that Black Wall Street, a prominent Black owned business district was burned to the ground. Now, 86 years later, that name has re-emerged. This time, it’s taking on a whole new meaning. The Game’s own Black Wall Street has become one of the most prevailing and neoteric record labels today. The only thing is, it’s a label that’s familiar to many, but which holds a roster that is known by few. All that is about to change. Meet the newest member of Black Wall Street, Black Boy a.k.a. Reggie P.
Black Boy hails from the city that generates more stars than the Milky Way. This Atlanta native got his name recognized by holding the title of freestyle champion on Atlanta’s Hot 107.9 since 2005. It was in that very station that Game gave Black Boy his stamp of approval and officially welcomed him to Black Wall Street. And although he has nothing but love for the Dirty South, he explains why signing with a West Coast label was something he just had to do. Now that he’s riding with Game, there’s nothing holding Black Boy back from making sure you don’t forget him or Black Wall Street, even in the next 86 years.
AllHipHop.com: How long have you been signed to Black Wall Street?
Black Boy: I have been signed to Black Wall Street since October of ’06.
AllHipHop.com: I know you were previously signed to an independent and were involed with a group out of Atlanta called Grand Larceny. How did your deal come about?
Black Boy: The thing that happen was, I was under some management with the group. I had a contract with them for a year and when it came time that the contract was up, we were like, “What are gonna do?” So we broke up for a minute and I went solo, got new management called Monopoly Product. I was still winning on the radio, it was a good 10 months strait that I was winning. During my tremendous reign, Game was there [Atlanta’s Hot 107.9] so I was chillin’, I didn’t even know I was gonna rap and then Juice was about to kick a freestyle or whatever, so then the DJ was like, “We got the Hot 107.9’s freestyle king, let him come up to the mic.” So, Game took off his headphones and was like “S**t, take my s**t, come right here,” I might have been on the tenth bar and he dropped the chain on me to let me know it was official.
AllHipHop.com: On your mixtape, there’s a skit from when you were at Hot 107.9 after continuously winning and no one would even step up to battle you.
Black Boy: When it comes down to when rappers wanna talk about beef or rap beef and all of that, I say it like this: if you got beef with me, don’t rap about it, come see me. What ever you ‘gon do, do it in actuality ‘cause let’s not go to the records and have beef on a beat. I done that. You either gonna respect my grind or respect my artistic vision or you’re gonna leave it alone. I say all that to say this, it’s been along time coming, man.
AllHipHop.com: That’s funny you talk about not wanting to beef on records because you’re now on label whose CEO is involved with many high profile beefs and has put out numerous diss tracks.
Black Boy: Now don’t get me wrong, if a dude makes a diss record or beef records towards me, I’ma come back at ‘em, so like you said, Game is known for that so I’m with the right camp for that. A lot of dudes say they they gonna do so much violent things to people but when they see ‘em, they don’t do nothing. So, its like either do it in the booth or do it for real, but I advice you not to do it in the booth ‘cause I hold it down.
AllHipHop.com: It seems as though you were blowing up and really making a name for yourself in Atlanta. Why were you so quick to sign with a West Coast label?
Black Boy: I’ma say it like this right here: Game is the hottest rapper in the game right now, you can quote me on that. I just feel like he can show me things, as far as beefs or having a bigger rapper like 50 or Dr. Dre in front of him and still be able to go forth and do his thing. That’s the position I feel like I’m in right now, I got Juice and I got The Game. Juice has a swagger and a style that has yet to be matched and we already about The Game. I can’t let the South down. It’s like we got a West Coast cat, and we got Juice who is from the South too but his delivery, everyone around the globe can feel. I represent the South, anything under Virginia is my domain. We got a T.I., we got a Jeezy, we got Ludacris, but I ain’t that type of rapper. I’m finna come off on some whole new s**t. Think about it, everyone is saying Hip-Hop is dead or Hip-Hop is dying, so I said what region killed it? Out of the East Coast, West Coast, or South, most people would say the South. I’m here to show them they’re wrong. We speak hunger and we speak real that’s why I feel like we’re on top.
AllHipHop.com: With that said and your obvious love for the South, then why wouldn’t you choose to sign with a Southern based label?
Black Boy: Please let me answer that. I’ma hurt a lot of people’s feelings but I don’t even care. D4L, much respect to them, but I don’t rap like that. So So Def, they make some of the hottest beats and songs, but I’m not that commercial. Young Jeezy, he got the smoothest swagger ever and some of the tightest metaphors and rhymes, but I don’t sell that much cocaine. T.I, I can’t say I’m the King of the South ‘cause I’m too broad. Ask people in Europe about me, they won’t stop calling me in Europe just off a freestyle I did on the radio. My vision is worldwide. They don’t believe I’m gonna be as big as Jeezy or Luda or T.I. They didn’t give me a chance, that’s why I’m glad I didn’t sign with none of the South labels. They didn’t give me a chance. When I was on the radio, it was Friday night, prime time and nobody in the region would even look my way. How you not hear me for nine or 10 months? That’s why I didn’t sign with no South ‘cause they heard and knew me but they didn’t believe in me. But guess what? That n***a Game was like “That boy spit with fire and hunger and I like him. I know he a battle rapper but I’ma sharpen him up.” Game is a real dude and you don’t’ find too many real dudes. We ain’t no mink coat wearing, buncha gold, pastel colors, Bathing Ape hoodies, f*****y s**t. I don’t do that s**t.
AllHipHop.com: So what issues are you going to tackle as an artist that doesn’t involve those things?
Black Boy: It’s like for me, man, in the game, everyone wanna adopt a Jay-Z or a Jeezy. Why ain’t nobody doin’ their own s**t and just being themselves? I’ma show dudes what rap was really made for. A lot of stuff is goin on, n***a’s is leading kids [to believe] selling dope is the answer. I know right from wrong, I know there’s a lot of kids that are on the block right now from a song that they heard. I’ma rap reality, believe that, but I’m not gonna advocate something that I know is some bulls**t. There’s gotta be a time when this s**t has gotta change.
AllHipHop.com: Tell me this, Black Wall Street is a label that hasn’t had any real consistency among their roster. Their artists seem to come and go whether it’s signing another deal or leaving for other reasons, were you at all apprehensive when the deal was on the table?
Black Boy: I’m Black Wall Street for life. Until they decide to let me go, I’m ridin’ with them ‘til the end. Game was the person who believed in me and as long as he believes in me, I’ma believe in him, you see what I’m sayin’?
AllHipHop.com: When people think of Black Wall Street, they think of The Game. It might be safe to say that unless it’s looked up, someone probably couldn’t name three artists off Black Wall Street. How do plan on changing that trend?
Black Boy: Game’s pull in the South is not as prominent as abroad. N***a’s down here is bumpin’ T.I., Lil’ Wayne, that s**t. But my following is so big in the streets, n***a’s is waiting for me to drop. By the time that Game decides to put me out, my buzz is gonna be so big that I’ma be a platinum selling artist. Until then, I’ma just keep putting out mixtapes. I know a lot of cats don’t know the artists on Black Wall Street, They definitely ain’t gonna know me ‘cause I just got signed, but as long as cats in Atlanta know me then I can only go bigger.
AllHipHop.com: You have a hit single called “Chill Bump Music (We Got Dat),” which was featured in The Source and you’re only on one song off The Black Wall Street Vol 2 mixtape, what else you got in the works?
Black Boy: I’m around a team of great minds. I’m working on my mixtape now and I’m already on numerous mixtapes abroad. My whole mixtape is gonna be put out in Atlanta called Witness the Illest Vol 1. I got a song with DJ Unk. Some more things gotta go down as far as putting out an album. I gotta record more songs, I don’t have enough songs ’cause I just got signed. My album might not be out this summer, but probably in the beginning of 2008.
AllHipHop.com: You’re better known as Reggie P., where did Black Boy come from?
Black Boy: That was a name Game gave me. Aka is gonna be Reggie P. though. I really gotta start walkin in that name, but if you come to me and say Reggie P. then I know you know me a little more.
AllHipHop.com: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Black Boy: I should be on my third or fourth album. I want a Grammy by then, you can quote me on that too. If you put anything in this interview, put this. I ain’t MIMS or nothing but, this is why I’m hot. The reason why I’m hot is because I ain’t never had a major disc in the streets. Most of the dudes gotta go to the clubs or strip clubs and try and get their CD out. Me, I never had that or nothing.