Bad Boy South artist Yung Joc has a lot to smile about.
The rapper’s new album New Joc City is riding high at number one on this week’s Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart with 149,000 units sold, as well as number three on the Billboard Top 200.
While Joc is appreciative of the success, the MC remains grounded while not letting his fame soften his grind.
“It feels like it’s more work to come. I’m not that excited only because I know that I got to keep dropping good music to keep it that ,” Joc told AllHipHop.com.
The rapper admitted to praying for his good fortune and modeling his work ethic after fellow rapper Young Jeezy.
“A lot people don’t think I’m happy because I don’t get excited. They don’t understand that I’ve been working at it a long time so when it comes I’m very happy. I’m just at a different level of thinking because I’m like in order to maintain it, I gotta stay focused. I can’t get caught up in celebrating. I’ll celebrate when I can kick back for the next 20 years and do nothing.
While the album’s first single “It’s Goin Down” continues to hover in the Billboard Top Ten, Joc already has plans for his follow-up, “I Know You See It.”
“The next single, I’m going to pray harder and I’m going to work harder,” said the wordsmith, who also serves as president of Mastermind Music. “I’m going to get out here and grinder harder than I grinded on ‘It’s Goin Down.’ The whole team [is] going to grind. We [are] going to grind harder. On the next single, we [are] going to try and make that a number one single.”
The success of New Joc City has opened the door to variety of opportunities for Joc such as movies, commercials and endorsements.
Musicically, fans will be able to hear the rapper on upcoming remixes with Cassie, Cherish and Cheri Dennis as well as new singles from Trey Songs and Marques Houston.
The options are the result of a long journey for Joc, who is quick to admit that he is no overnight succcess.
Nevertheless, Joc has a message for everyone who had a hand in shaping his career.
“This right here is for all the people who believe in me and my struggle and my grind. I want you tell them that I said ‘Thank you very much,'” he said. “And for all the people who hated and continue to hate, ‘Thank you very much.’ I couldn’t have did it without the believers and I couldn’t have did it without the haters because the haters when they speak, when they talk about me, the people who believe in me fall in love with me more. Thank you very much.”
Not one to leave a stone unturned, Joc addressed rumblings of a beef between him, Jeezy and D4L after the release of his single ‘A Couple Grand,’ saying there was no such issue when he did the song.
“No, I’m not dissing D4L and no I’m not dissing Jeezy. Just to let it be out there. You want to let it be known. I’m not dissin not a one of them n***as. I F**ks with them n***s. Matter of fact. I just did the ‘I’m Da Man’ remix with Shawty Lo and Rick Ross.”