With production credits on Young Joc’s#### single Bottle Poppin’, Don P. is set to end 2007 on a strong note, as he settles in at his new recording home at Universal Records.
According to the beatmaker, who did the deal through his label Swag Up Entertainment, the Universal signing was the result of a series of meetings with representatives in New York and Los Angeles, as well as a determination get his music heard.
“We kept sending records to them because they were interested,” Don P. told AllHipHop.com. “I just kept sending them records and the next thing you know, s**t, the contract was on the table and we was ready to roll.”
With backing from Universal, Don P. is gearing up to release What You See is What You Get, the forthcoming album from the rapper/producer’s group Trillville.
Despite Trillville’s return to the rap scene, fans may notice a change in the line up, with the absence of original member Dirty Mouth.
“It’s not a Trill no more. It’s a duo,” said Don P. “It’s me and Lil’ A, Don P and Lil’ A.”
Dirty Mouth’s departure came during the Trillville’s transition to Universal.
The rapper opted to stay at group’s former label Warner Brothers and pursue a deal to go solo.
“He chose to use his solo option. And he sent in a couple of records and, you know, they were trying to get him on track and get him on track. But I guess he could never get together so they ended up dropping him,” Don P. said. “By the time he got dropped we was already in negotiations with Universal as a duo.”
Despite the parting, Don P. is quick to reveal that no ill will exists between Trillville and Dirty Mouth.
“It ain’t no beef or nothing like that. It’s just loyalty, you know what I’m sayin,” he explained. “You with somebody since day one, that’s who you go with because the label don’t give a f**k about you. They’ll drop you like a bad habit.”
Slated to come out between the first quarter and second quarter of 2008, What You See is What You Gets will feature appearances from Young Joc, Three 6 Mafia and D4L member Fabo.
More guests may be added to the album in light of Trillville’s association with Universal, according to Don P.
“It’s gonna be more to come, you know what I’m sayin. We just gettin’ started,” he said. “We at the early stages. These are records we had before the deal. So now that the deal is in place we’re gonna be able to get a lot more people on deck.”
Although rapping in Trillville has proven to be successful, Don P. admits that his true love lies in crafting beats.
“I was doing production first. That was my first love,” said the self-proclaimed Trillest producer in the South.
“I did [the Trillville hit] ‘Neva Eva,‘ I actually did that track. Once everything kinda slowed down with the Trillville thing, I just jumped back on it [production] because we were on the road touring. I got back in to it and the rest is history.”
Fans can currently hear Don P.’s production on new song’s from Durt Boy, Fabo and “probably 90 percent” of What You Get is What You See.
“This album right here is gonna be better than any album you ever heard,” Don P. said about What You See is What You Get.
“It’s gonna be crazy. It’s gonna give me a chance to let people hear my production.”