N
ot all lessons are learned on the first try. Around the time Trick Daddy was telling haters to “Shut Up,” Panama City, Florida’s Blood Raw was supposed to follow-up the sunshine-state charge. While label drama was one thing, it was ultimately Federal agents that halted Blood Raw’s charge to the game. A drug-trafficking conviction landed the rapper in state prison, with a dim future.
Since being released in 2004, Blood Raw has been committed to meeting his dreams with the mic in lieu of the measured grams. Despite that new outlook, the rapper is aligned with Young Jeezy’s Corporate Thugz Entertainment by way of U.S.D.A. (United States Dopeboys of America) with Slick Pulla. The trade secrets of Blood Raw’s speckled past push his rhymes forward. With hopes of releasing The True Testimony in the next year, Blood Raw intends to carry the Trap Star baton in the rhyme relay-race of the South. Get to know Blood Raw, and read a story that could just as soon air on Court TV as MTV or BET.
AllHipHop.com: What’s going on, man? What are you up to today?
Blood Raw: I’m just running a couple or errands and kicking it with my son while I’m in town. Other than that, man, I’m handling business. I’ll probably work from around seven o’clock until whenever. Really man, my day consists of just getting up, hitting the gym, and doing what I have to do during the day and work at night.
AllHipHop.com: How old is your son?
Blood Raw: Well, he’s six but he acts like he’s 23-years-old, for real.
AllHipHop.com: When did you first move into the rap game?
Blood Raw: I’ve always been a fan of rap music. I like the way it really moves people, inspires people, and gets people through their day. As it went on, the different types of music started losing me. It went away from [being about] people [to being about] people just trying to make some money. Back in the day, people like Tupac and Biggie influenced a lot of people. They made people want something out of life. It made people believe that even though we come from the struggle we do have hope.
I was initially just dabbling. I kind of wanted to do it, but I really didn’t have my head into that. What really woke me up was that back in 2002, I caught a trafficking charge. I was like, “Look man, I gotta do something else.” You know? These folks ain’t playing. In January of 2005, the Feds picked me up on a conspiracy charge. I really feel like God took me on this paid and he showed me that he would deliver me from anything. And on April 6, 2006 I was acquitted on all charges.
AllHipHop.com: When was it that you got up with Jeezy?
Blood Raw: I signed in like December, 2004. So I was already running with him for a whole year before we were getting ready to go over to Europe. These folks met me at the passport office. I don’t know what type of feeling that would be to anybody else, but to me, that was my worst nightmare. I mean, for me, to be a [fearful] man, it’s unbelievable. When I tell people this story, they don’t believe me because you and I know that when the Feds grab you, nine times out of ten, you ain’t gonna see no daylight anymore – especially dealing with that type of charge where it only takes two people to convict you.
AllHipHop.com: What do you feel the best way to fight “Fed time” is?
Blood Raw: I mean the best way to do it is to put your trust in God and keep your mouth closed. The younger generation doesn’t really know the definition of a “gangsta” or a “real n***a.” To them, it’s just a title that the younger generation is carrying. It’s really funny, I’m going to say about 90% of the artists in the industry are pretending to live a lifestyle that they never really experienced. They’re not worried about the consequences or they’re not thinking about the consequences. Nowadays in the Federal System, they feel like it’s cool to snitch on a n***a, and it’s cool to get ten years. That’s not the way I was raised and it’s not in my blood. I would rather take life than to put my family through it knowing that I done told on somebody or even dealing with that. It’s not in my blood, homie. I don’t get these n***as.
AllHipHop.com: From hearing this though, it might seem that you’re new to the game. But weren’t you supposed to be on Genovese’s unreleased album in the late ‘90s?
Blood Raw: Genovese is my man; that’s my heart. He helped me man when a lot of people doubted me and didn’t believe. There was a lot that went on in terms of the politics. The industry is so full of s**t and they would waste a wholeheartedly good n***a, or a good artist or a good dude to deal with these bulls**t, watered-down cats. They can accept them easier than they can accept the truth. It’s because they can’t handle guys like us who are going to keep it real and give the truth to you. He was just too real and Universal [Records] couldn’t accept that. I mean, I do believe that somewhere down the line, my dude ‘Vese is going to come back and it’s going to be shocking because the same people who didn’t do their job are going to be on his d*ck.
AllHipHop.com: You’re running with Jeezy’s USDA camp, will there be a group album coming out from that clique?
Blood Raw: Actually right now, we’re working on a domino effect. Jeezy fittin’ to drop in October, then me, and then Slick Pulla will drop.
AllHipHop.com: Southern Hip-Hop has come a long way in the last ten years. Did the greater Hip-Hop audience miss out on some great rappers?
Blood Raw: I mean, one thing about Southern artists is that their mentality is “We’re not going to get recognized.” So when you come in with that mentality, you get your business sense. You’re not looking for no deal, you’re looking to get money. Down here, they package their s**t up, or they sell it out of they trunk or they get a small distribution deal. As far as an up North artist or a West Coast artist, they’re right near the labels and they try and get deals first, because of the connections. Down here, without connections, we try to get it on the hustle.
AllHipHop.com: Were you rapping while you were in prison?
Blood Raw: Yeah I rapped in prison. That’s actually where I got the name “Blood Raw” from. Blood Raw is slang in Florida for whatever you see that is real tight or real dope. Like a n***a down here will say some s**t like, “Damn. that s**t’s Blood Raw.” So when I was in prison, prison is really like the streets, so I was doing my thing rapping the older cats started calling me Blood Raw. So, I kinda liked it. Blood is the purest form and Raw is uncut.
AllHipHop.com: Did you record anything?
Blood Raw: Nah, in the Southern prisons, man, you don’t really get that, except for in the Federal system. I did time in the state at first, and they don’t really have that.
AllHipHop.com: What is your new album like?
Blood Raw: My new album is going to be called The True Testimony and it’s going to be like the new ghetto gospel. I’m going to take people back to the old s**t, the Tupac and the B.I.G. and give people the struggle. I’m going to give people the real definition of pain and struggle.
AllHipHop.com: We’re sure the album is for the streets, who do you have coming with you?
Blood Raw: You know I’ve got the camp with me. I’ve got Jeezy, I’ve Slick Pulla, I’m trying to work with Beanie Sigel, and I’m trying to get at Lyfe Jennings. I’m f**king with Cee-Lo. I got a few cats. I’m going hard and trying to bring the real soul back into the game from my heart. This s**t is s**t to help people get through their day and not want to party all the time and go to the club.
AllHipHop.com: If you could do an All-Star track with only Southern artists who would you pick?
Blood Raw: Oh man, as a matter of fact, I got a song where I’m going to collaborate with Trick Daddy and Rick Ross, with Jeezy on the hook. It’s a real crazy Chevy song and it’s going to be real summer anthem.