Loon: The Bad Boy Franchise Pt.1

Most people only recognize Loon as the guy who blew up when he was featured in P.Diddy’s "I Need A Girl" series of hits. As with most "overnight successes," it usually takes years and years of hard work to finally realize your dream. Loon is no exception. Loon comes from Harlem, where he says he […]

Most people only recognize Loon as the guy who

blew up when he was featured in P.Diddy’s "I Need A Girl" series of

hits. As with most "overnight successes," it usually takes years and

years of hard work to finally realize your dream. Loon is no exception.

Loon comes from Harlem, where he says he was

treated like a Prince, due to some serious street connections. Unlike most of

his peers, Loon can also say that he also grew up around some of the most famous

and infamous icons of our generation. Loon’s story is a must read.

AllHipHop.com: Explain the journey to this point

in your career?

Loon: I was a victim of a lot of transitions,

that’s how we going to sum it up. I was on Tommy Boy first, had a group

called Harlem World, had an album called “Harlem World”. At the time

it might have not been the appropriate thing for the music world, but it was

introduced in ’97 by Mase on Bad Boy Records, so I left Tommy Boy. Then

I pursued a solo career, ’cause unfortunately my partner got locked up. I ended

up in the office of a gentleman by the name of Clive Davis. He offered me a

solo deal, and with my solo deal on the table, I was also offered to be a part

of the group Harlem World that was established based on the success of Mase’s

solo attempt, his solo album named “Harlem World”. Unfortunately Mase

retired, we lost the support from Sony and the group situation withered away.

Which brings me back to Arista, solo deal still on the table, Clive Davis still

granted me the same deal. Did the solo deal and 6 songs in here’s another

transition. Clive Davis leaves and goes to J Records, LA Reid steps in with

quite a few things on his plate, maybe more than what was required at the time.

I just wasn’t considered a factor in his new reign, so therefore I was

on the brink of being dropped. At that point I made a suggestion to work with

Puff who was in Miami at the time, working on a compilation album, which became

P. Diddy and the Bad Boy Family. I was scheduled to go in there for 4 days and

write 2 songs. I ended up staying 4 weeks and I wrote 11 songs. I pretty much

been here ever since. So that’s the long version of all the transitions.

I was a victim of the music business, but I was strong, focused and I was determined.

AllHipHop.com: Who would you say is your inspiration?

L: My inspiration first and foremost is God;

I have a very trained relationship with God. It’s more like a brotherly

relationship with God. My family once again is one of my inspirations because

I came from a family that didn’t promise a lot of stars and success. To

come out of that as one of the members in my family and be successful kind of

makes me be inspired. Friends, peers, you got a couple of artist out there that

definitely inspired me like Biggie Smalls, Tupac. One of my first inspirations

was Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane. All the artist that had substance pretty

much inspired me to want to come out and establish my character and vibe that

I bring to the table.

AllHipHop.com: What makes this album different from anything

else out right now?

L: I think right now I took the initiative to

kind of consider the radio and the dance floor. It’s like a primary target

as opposed too me trying to establish some kind of street credibility, or credit

as a emcee, or a dominate force in the game. I just pretty much tried to fill

the void with the dance floors and just try to bring that classic Bad Boy vibe

that Puff brought to the table in ’97. I got Puff with his producer cap

on, he’s pretty much behind the scenes how we learned to love and appreciate

him, not to try to take something away from him as an artist. We just try to

really go and follow that old Bad Boy formula with a little new twist. To reach

the new generation of music that is taking over the airwaves now.

AllHipHop.com: Explain your rap style?

L: My style is pretty much like me, laid back,

smooth. I kind of elaborate off the positive things I see and pretty much the

vibe that I get when I wake up. I don’t wake up thinking about killing

nobody, I don’t wake up thinking about robbing and stealing. When I wake

up I think about getting money. I think about partying, I think about girls,

just all the finer things in life. I just try to take those things and elaborate

on them without glorifying them. Like the way I use my dialog to talk to women,

I don’t do too much promising jewelry and all the things that dudes think

girls want to hear, but I try to talk from a more monogamist aspect. Really

pointing out the things fellas take for granted, like opening the door, putting

up the umbrella when it’s raining, that’s my approach. I got that

little old fashioned, choir boy approach, with a little street edge.

AllHipHop.com: Can you explain the growth from back then

to today?

L: Me in my early rap days coming from the streets

of Harlem and Harlem not really being a factor to the real driving force in

the music business, I tried to represent Harlem in a darker aspect. I really

wanted to bring a more darker, realistic aspect of Harlem as opposed to what

you see just riding past seventh. You can see all the fly sh*t, you can see

all the kids out and all the activity in the street until like 3am in the morning.

I wanted to try to expose the dark side or some of the things it takes to be

able to live that social lifestyle. It was a lot more edgy than the music I

do now. Being that I was introduced to the world through a couple of popular

record like “ I Need A Girl Part 1 & 2," it kind of placed me

in a certain category that I’ve learned to appreciate. As an artist we

all have a certain amount of ego that drives us, my competitiveness used to

come from battling and going at other emcees. Now my competitiveness is really

trying to corner my slot. Like I said I was introduced on a record where women

appeal to me more, parents, kids. It’s placed me in a nice marketable,

wholesome, positive atmosphere. It’s almost totally opposite of the way

I initially wanted to approach the game. I think a lot of the growth came from

my grandmother ‘cause she used to find my little raps and see the profanity

in my rhymes and used to tell me "boy you aint going to get no money talking

about your privates, calling all women “B’s “ and things of that

nature." She kind of discouraged me so it really wasn’t Puff yall.

I don’t want yall to think Puff watered me down and sugar coated me. A

lot of the situations in my career right now have been developed in a good way.

I just want to take advantage of that. For those that know about my past ability

to rap about street stuff and get all in depth with the street genre, it’s

still there it’s just I’m feeling the “I Need A Girl" vibe.