They go everywhere, watch everything, and listen in to some of the most intimate conversations that take place in the industry. Trailing the artists and managers everywhere they go, they have some of the best access to the real insides of Hip-Hop. This is the life of a two-way pager, you might be reading this on one now.
Whether it’s the familiar scroll wheel of the Blackberry or the sliding screen of the Sidekick, two-ways grace the hands of industry heavyweights and hopefuls alike. From conference calls negotiating major label deals to casual conversations with local groupies, two ways facilitate the artists’ every communication need and then some.
About to drop his sophomore album, Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live, Atlanta’s Prince of Crunk decides to flip the script and get away from discussing the music and discussing what keeps his everyday operations afloat, his Sidekick.
AllHipHop.com: What kind of two-way do you have right now?
Lil’ Scrappy: I got the Sidekick III. I got that because the Blackberry is too hard to figure out, know what I’m saying? I don’t like going through all that other s**t. I just like to slide that s**t back and keep it moving. Somebody was stealing Blackberries or something, and going through and hacking it and getting s**t and I was like, “Oh my God, I’m definitely not f**king with the Blackberry no more.” So I’m f**king with the Sidekick now, and it’s way more popular now anyways.
AllHipHop.com: When you get the Sidekick, you have to choose your Tmail address right then…
Lil’ Scrappy: Yeah. [laughs] I love the address. You know the other thing about the Blackberry? It’s got a long address. It’s the company you with, your phone, and your name. With the sidekick, it’s just your name and your carrier you’re with.
AllHipHop.com: For some people it takes a long time to pick their Tmail address. Was it a long process for you?
Lil’ Scrappy: Naw, it was quick. It was quick because I already knew who I am, and who I am is what I want. It’s in the name.
AllHipHop.com: With the fame come the stalkers. How bad has it become with your phone number and two-way address getting leaked?
Lil’ Scrappy: It’s gonna happen sometimes, but it don’t happen like that all the time. Sometime you might have some a**hole that gets your number and he might be on some d**k-riding type s**t and he might hit you up.
AllHipHop.com: What’s the craziest voicemail you’ve gotten?
Lil’ Scrappy: Somebody telling me that they hate me, and they gonna kill me. That s**t gets old.
AllHipHop.com: What about the craziest groupie voicemail?
Lil’ Scrappy: [Laughing] I get groupies saying they wanna suck my d**k whenever I come to her town, and I really don’t even know who she is. But it’s all good though.
AllHipHop.com: For every 10 messages how many two ways do you actually read and respond to?
Lil’ Scrappy: I answer everything that makes sense, everything that I have to, you feel me? A lot of it is usually business, so I’ll be taking care of that s**t, gotta stay on top of all that. Most of the stuff I get I’ll answer, I’d say about 90%. I got a lot of people who randomly hit me up on the Nextel, but I don’t get a lot of motherf**kers on the Sidekick.
AllHipHop.com: Did you start with a Sidekick II or did you start with the Sidekick III?
Lil’ Scrappy: I had the Sidekick II but I went straight to the other one went it came out because my old Sidekick kept bugging on me. The screen used to go out on me, it’d start freezing up one, and s**t like that. I really just got this ‘cause it was the new thing.
AllHipHop.com: A lot of artists are starting to write their lyrics on their two ways. Do you do that as well?
Lil’ Scrappy: I write my notes on there. If I think about something, I’ll write it in there, but as far as sitting down and writing the whole track in there, I don’t do that. That’s for a real pad.
AllHipHop.com: What kinds of pictures do you have on your Sidekick?
Lil’ Scrappy: Just my little girl. Nothing else, just my little girl, that’s what gets me through my little time when I’m on the road and I can’t see her.
AllHipHop.com: What other things do you on your sidekick?
Lil’ Scrappy: I make phone calls and check emails, that’s it, not much more than that. A lot of other people do other s**t on there as well, but I keep it simple.
AllHipHop.com: If you didn’t have the Sidekick how hard do you think your life would be?
Lil’ Scrappy: It’d be difficult. The Sidekick is how I find out most of my information. I’m out on the road a lot and that’s how I find out my s**t so it’d be difficult without it.
AllHipHop.com: Do you carry anything else on you?
Lil’ Scrappy: My laptop. I just use that to surf the web.
AllHipHop.com: Do you do any production or anything musical on the laptop?
Lil’ Scrappy: Naw I don’t try to get into any of that s**t, man, I’m simple. I just do my CEO s**t. I got Crime Mob with an album coming out top of the year, and I got G’s Up. so I take care of my CEO s**t.