AllHipHop.com: You were the cameo king of 2005. Was that your idea, or you just being approached?
Bun B: Nah, people just kept coming. Part of it was Rap hustling and going out doing features for money. Part of it was people reaching out like “Bun I got this project come get on it, it would be a good look.” And that’s people like Lil’ Jon, and Ludacris and Chingy. The other part of it was like people saying “I know what you trying to do right now what can we do to help?” We have a album here you can come do this that or whatever – that’s where Jeezy come in. I understood the kind of music that Jeezy was going to be making, and I knew there was going to be a lot of hating. And I didn’t want that early hating to stop him from what he needed to do. The only thing that’s going to stop Jeezy is Jeezy. I had let him know that from the beginning. I was like, “What you’re doing is going to transfer like a mothaf**ka. People gonna be scared at first. People going to resent you at first. Keep mashing. Remember who you’re representing. Keep mashing.” S**t, ain’t you can’t stop him now. Same thing with Lil’ Webby. With the Lil’ Webby and Lil’ Boosie situation, these are people that a friends of ours signed. So Pimp came in and was like I’ll do the artist and music and that will be my contribution for so much of the label. And y’all put the money in, and that will be y’all contribution, and we’ll put all our labels together. And that’s where Trillville Entertainment comes from. with Boosie and Webby. And that’s not just in the South, I’ve done the same thing with Casual in Brooklyn and make sure that he gets a good look. I’m f**kin’ with Jae Millz now. I’m f**kin’ with Chino XL on the West Coast.
AllHipHop.com: Not too many people can move from Jay-Z to Kweli to Self Scientific to Jeezy to Chino XL…
Bun B: Well, l I don’t think to many people want to. A lot of them are comfortable in their own skin and take the easy route. You just really have to be real with people. I think that right now in the game a lot of the real cats are seeking each other out. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
AllHipHop.com: More and more, people are gravitating to new things…
Bun B: I like Little Brother, man. But I wonder… The Minstrel Show”…I wonder who’s apart of the minstrel show? I know what they mean, but I think a lot of the people that they think are against them would pull for them. I really like them and I like their music and I know they are not making what everybody down South is making right now, but that don’t mean we against you.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think they attacked you?
Bun B: I wear a lot of jewelry and s**t. I would be considered on of those flossy type n***as. But it’s deeper than that. If you know me, you know that. I don’t know but I do know that a lot of n***as like those cats’ music. But you have to be careful ‘cause you don’t know, you could be turning away people that might be supporting you. I learned that going through the game and my years. Some of my biggest supporters in the game where the least likely people I would have thought, like Chino XL. This cat pushes for me hard. He’s getting me on the air in New York. Hit me in Philly Phil, getting me on [Cosmic Kev] giving me good looks. Never would have thought in my years that Chino XL would have been the cat to hold me down on the West Coast. And I love these cats man.
AllHipHop.com: I guess they’re just criticizing the game…
Bun B: I hope that’s what it is, ‘cause if that’s what it is, then I’m all behind them. ‘Cause it’s hard …this game is hard and you can’t knock cats for how they are getting in. We are all blessed to get into this game. ‘Cause it’s like they are in “the show” now, so be careful. I think a lot more people would support them. They North Carolina n***as. I just really like them cats. I listen to this album faithfully. I never knew that 9th Wonder was from North Carolina. I never know that s**t until I saw some press on them. I’m like, “Give me some of that heat.”
AllHipHop.com: I don’t know what happened, they haven’t sold the units people thought…
Bun B: Man, you have to associate s**t right. Y’all from down South man, we’ll support you. Don’t be surprised [that] the South is gaining up. I think they would lean more towards the South. I don’t think they believe that.
AllHipHop.com: You think they see themselves as New York focused?
Bun B: They like Hip-Hop, and I understand that. But down here…I read in the article that they don’t make the kind of Rap that people make today because they didn’t grow up on that type of Rap. They grew up on NWA and A Tribe Called Quest. So did I. Everybody did. I want to say the right thing about them cause I like them. I really want to find them cause I want to talk to them. I want to make sure that I didn’t get them misinterpreted and that I didn’t get a clue. I want to push for them n***as. They have some of the best music on the shelf, right now. I think they should have gotten a better look.
AllHipHop.com: I wanted to ask you about this song “Keep Pushin’.” How would you describe that song?
Bun B: It’s a keep ya head up for the hustle. Yeah it’s a motivational type song for the hustlers. I know it’s hard out there on the grind, especially now, it’s even worse. Finding work is funnier than ever. So if that’s what you want to do and that’s how you going to get it then just keep ya head up, man. Don’t let these haters keep you down.
AllHipHop.com: Has anything come out regarding the Lil Troy and Scarface snitch accusations yet?
Bun B: Man I don’t even know. I’m in the streets, I’ve seen fliers, but I don’t know.
AllHipHop.com: Lil’ Troy’s putting out fliers?
Bun B: Yeah, if it’s a file the show it and let that be known. Ain’t nothing nobody can say if his paper works. But there are so many beautiful things around unity going on in Houston right now, and I hate to see this from some people that’s been representing from Houston for so long. Lil’ Troy put out one of the first record labels in Houston. Everyone is an OG. I just hate to see this type of situation from Houston right now.
AllHipHop.com: Can you talk about your relationship with the Internet?
Bun B: I f**ks around with the net a little bit. I mainly be checking out the blogs and s**t, seeing what the streets are saying about me.
AllHipHop.com: What are they saying?
Bun B: It’s fittin to go down. People from different regions where curious from the songs with Jeezy and Jay. They figure this n***a is really trying to do something. They realized it wasn’t just going to be a little album.