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| With a song catalog full of classics, millions of records sold and being one fourth of maybe one of the greatest R&B groups of our time, Slim of 112 is branching off on his own this time around but don't think anything has changed because the consistency is in his veins. With the hot single "So Fly" sweeping through the airwaves, Slim once again has given his fans a reason to be in love with R&B Inkstarzz: What's up ! How's everything going? Why don't you tell us what's been up with you? Slim: Man, it's been crazy! I got this new single that's out, "So Fly" featuring Yung Joc [and] Shawty Lo. It's crazy and it's been doing really good on the charts. I just shot the video about 2 1/2 weeks ago and it should be on BET and MTV probably next week or something like that. I'm on the Russ Par bus tour that's doing real, real crazy. It's like me, Pleasure P, Yung Berg, and a whole bunch of other folks, Jazmine and Keri Hilson. It's real, real crazy and I think the most fun I'm having out of this is that me and my label built this bus specifically for me. So, I got my own flat screen, the way I like it and we traveling all over the United States just having fun! Just promoting my stuff! Inkstarzz: Yeah that's what's up! Slim: Yeah, man! Inkstarzz: Is there a different approach you take when doing a solo album than when you do a group album? Slim: Well it's not that bad, actually. I take the same type of work habits, you know what I’m sayin, and I bring it to the studio. Usually, even with the 112 albums, I treat it like how I used to do the singles. I pretty much run the records. It's all love, man! Plus I got a really good staff that keeps everything together, so it's real easy for me. Inkstarzz: With all of the success you've had, how do you still keep it fresh? Is it still exciting to you? Slim: Yep! You know what? What I had to do was, I had to do some real soul searching though because probably about 2 years ago, I was about to give the music up completely. With this industry, you got a bunch of pros, but you got a lot of cons, too. You got a lot of people that you think are real close to you, supposed to be tight with you, you think you know people... you know what I mean? What I was doing was allowing the devil to just knock me off track, but I went to Australia. I went out there for like two weeks [and] did some soul searching, man. I was really battling with it, but I said "you know what, though? If I'm gonna do my last thing, I might as well do it my way." So, instead of just being an artist, now I have my own label. It's running through Asylum Atlantic and that's history within itself because I'm the first R&B artist ever to sign over there, so I got my label running through that bad boy and I'm just doing it my way. So that's what I did. I signed myself to my own label and I'm doing it this way and it's doing really, really good. I feel blessed, man. Inkstarzz: So how is it over there at Asylum as the first R&B artist? Slim: Oh, Bananas! Well it’s great to be priority! It feels really, really good! Todd, Jay, Sickamore, Kim, everybody over there understands the system and the formula, you know what I'm sayin? I fit very well because I have my own sound. When I sing everybody knows who it is. I have a brand with 112. We sold, what? About 17 or 18 million records worldwide? So, it's easy with me. It's not like you're breaking an artist, all I gotta do is come out with a hot record and it works the same way. It's really, really great. See what I'm trying to do is, I'm trying to show R&B artists that R&B can do the same as hip-hop artists, too! You just gotta have that same hustle and that same grind. You gotta know that the street makes you hot, DJs make the world go round, and you make yourself hot in the streets. The game has changed; that’s how people get deals, anyway. So, why not do it in the R&B sense, ya know? Inkstarzz: Right, right! OK, let me ask you this, do you see a major difference in today’s R&B from when you first came into the industry? Slim: Oh yes! That's by far! I hate to say this and I know this sounds kind of cruel, but, the competition is not like how it used to be. When we came out, I was 15 [or] 16 years old. The group was 16 17,[or] 18 years old. Our competition was Boys II Men, Jodeci and Mint Condition and it's like, now.... well groups aren't really "in" right now, but I think since the game has changed, we have a lot more business savvy artists where they're kind of creating their own brand. As far as the actual artist competition, as far as talent’s concerned, uhhh, a lot of it is being compromised with a lot of technology these days. Inkstarzz: I know you have your own label now so, when you were working with Puff, is there anything that you can say you learned from being signed to Bad Boy that you can use at your label? Slim: Oh yeah and I'm doing it and the great thing about it is that he's helping me do it. He's on my album and he understands the vision that I'm doing. He called me and said "yo, I hear you and I feel you” you know what I'm saying? Like “I see what you're doing" and I reached out to him. He's one of the best in marketing and actually getting himself heard and since I'm doing it a new way, from the independent scale, I have to make sure that I'm being seen and I gotta be felt just as much as the major artists. [With] the major artists at major labels, I want to be a force to be reckoned with, so he's helping me with that. He's helping to mold me because, in two years, I'm planning to be where he is. I wanna be the L.A. Reid, the Clive Davis, the Jay-Z, the Jermaine Dupri.... that's me. I'm trying to be that so he put me under his wing. It's all love. Inkstarzz: What is your reaction when somebody comes to you and tells you that they got pregnant listening to 112? Slim: (Laughs) Hey, mission accomplished! That's why we were making that type of music. We were doing that on purpose. We are not responsible for the child support, ok? We spread love and with all the crazy stuff going on in the world today, with wars and wild stuff happening and black-on-black crime.... look, if somebody's out there just promoting love, I think everybody... I don't care what type of hood you come from or what type of background you come from, at the end of the day love is universal. Even though people have different levels of love and how they look at it, but love is in you, straight up. So it's sounds good, man. People come up to me and say "yo man, we played that "Now That We're Done" man, oh my goodness, when "Cupid" came on I know what girl I was with!" Hey! It's all beautiful. It's pretty much the same era that you're gonna feel with this "Love's Crazy" album that I'm dropping, you know what I mean? I will say this right now; I'm not responsible for child support, ok?! (Laughs) Listen to the song and use it and be responsible! It's just like beer when you put it out there [or]some type of alcoholic beverage. They tell you, and they give you the little warning! That's how I feel right now. Inkstarzz: What is your favorite song out of the 112 catalog? Slim: Aww man! It's hard to say. That's just like asking a parent which one is their best child. With us, music is like a drug, it's like a rush! Whatever the fans are feeling that night, when you're on the stage and when that song comes on, it changes. I be riding with the fans. We perform it and then however the reaction is, it's like "you know what?”Cupid" won that night"; "you know what?”Only You" won that", “you know what?”Peaches 'N' Cream" won that", you know what I'm sayin? That's how we are, that's what it is. Yeah, man! Inkstarzz: When you're writing do you need a certain setup, like a quiet area or a candle lit room? Slim: Naw man! Well it depends on what type of record it is. I got my own tour bus and I got everything laid out where I can set the mood to whatever is gonna help me if the record's like a real sexual joint. I create the setting or whatever, maybe ladies are around. If it's a banger, I like to go to the club, or I might go to the strip club and get the vibe of what's popping right there, it gets me in the mood and then my staff and I or Just I go to the studio and bang out. It just depends. I don't have one system, you know what I mean? Inkstarzz: Where do you see R&B in 10 years? Slim: Well, I'm kind of happy with where it's going. Just looking at the artists now... I won't front, three years ago if you would've asked me that question, I told you " man, I don't know where R&B is going at all!" but now it seems like R&B is taking it's presence back to where it's supposed to be and great quality songs are being done and wrote. You got the Usher and you got the Ne-Yo and I feel [The] Dream how he writes his records, straight up honest music. J. Holiday and Alicia Keys... man love 'em all to death, man. Keeping that stuff consistent and definitely bringing the ball back to where it was. I aint gon front to you, it did feel like a drought. That's the reason 112 don't just come out. We sit there are we really pay attention and say “yo, even if we brought that song out, would people really understand it?" Would radio say, "well, it's a great song, but it doesn't fit format" and if it doesn't fit format, the people that probably wanna hear those records won't get a chance to it. So, we take our time. I aint gon front, I like where it's going and if we continue to do it, then hopefully everybody will make sure that, when they write records, [they] don't write records for ringtones or just for something that's gonna be cool for three months. Write for something that's gonna be for 10, 20, or 30 years. Inkstarzz: Right, make history. Slim: Yea, man! Inkstarzz: What is one word that can describe you as an artist? Slim: Me as an artist? Driven. I have to say that because, no matter where I put my heart, my head and my hands to do, I feel like if I got God on my side, I feel like nothing can really stop me. The great thing about this is.... Imma tell you, about a year and a half ago, people told me I was crazy, "man Slim, you with a label? Yeah right! You're doing your own records, and you coming out with your own record? Naw you can't do it, we can't even see you doing that! Naw, it wouldn't even come off the porch." Even when I got the record, I was reading DJ reviews and stuff like that. When it first came out, aww man, I got beat up! It feels good to look the charts. I don't even have a video out and I'm in the top 20 on the charts, right now! No video! I had come to the conclusion that these are my roots, man. When the streets love you and they got real love for you... and I love the DJs because I feel the DJs really make the world go 'round. If it was up to me, I would hire DJs to run labels and get rid of all these corporate cats that think they know but don't be in the clubs and the streets and know what's going on. That's who I would hire. I feel like this is my system, it's like a "keep it real" type of label. This is what it is. You can do anything. Driven, man! Inkstarzz: What can we expect from your CD, Love’s Crazy? Slim: Aww, man! Now this right here is crazy! Just listen to people that have been reviewing it. I got puff, I did a duet with Faith and, of course, yall hear the [Yung] Joc and Shawty Lo. I get in with Jazzy Pha, [The] Dream, Reese and Jasper who did the record "Girls Around The World" with Lloyd. I got my boy Midnight Black. He's really like my Timbaland and he got the hard beats. He got the "Who's Hotter Than Me" with Plies and he's working with Jeezy, too with his album.[I got] Designated Hitters over there in Sacramento that really control the Ballads right there; Oddz.N.Endz , who produced the record, "So Fly". They're incredible producers, man. The sound is fresh! It's fresh and I have my own thing and I understand my lane. I guarantee you when you play that record you're not gonna say,” is that J. Holiday?” or “Is that Usher?" No, you're gonna know that this is a Slim record. Hopefully everybody will say that not only is it a Slim record, it's a very good Slim record. A very well produced album man, very classic. Inkstarzz: When will it be in stores? Slim: Ok, I'm sayin September, right? My birthday is September 25th, so I'm trying to do it my way. So, they gave me one date and I said, "You know what? This is what I want for my birthday. I need my album to come out real close to my birthday" so I can throw all kind of Album release parties, birthday, however I wanna do it, you know what I'm sayin? [I could] just have a real big celebration. I wanted everybody in the world to come celebrate with ya man and just know I represent all the people out there who were told "you couldn't do this" ,"you can't do that", Oh yes you can! When anybody tells you that you can't do something, or a person is looking at you telling you what you can and can't do, you look at 'em with your work ethics, with your mind, with your heart and with your actions and show them that yes you can.[In] September, "Love's Crazy", the album is crazy. It's star-studded! Holla atcha boy, it's about to be crazy! I'm not responsible for child support!(Laughs) Inkstarzz: (Laughs) Any myspace or website info? Slim: Yea, man! You gotta check out my myspace page, especially right now! I'm on a 2 1/2 week Russ Par bus tour. So, check out my myspace page slim of 112, very simple myspace.com/slimof112. Come holla atcha boy. I got all kind of wild blogs, pictures of me, Pleasure P, Yung Berg, man I got a whole bunch of people on here. Check out my new $1 million dollars plus bus, how it's built. Come out! Jump in the life of Slim! On that spot, I'm giving out my phone number, right? If yall wanna holla at me, leave me a message and I do hit my fans back. I don't have nothing to do. We ride through the United States, [when] I call up my fans there have been a lot of shocked girls, I promise you! They're like "Whoa! That's Slim for real!" Yeah, I holla at my folks and I read all my mail, so holla atcha boy, aight! Inkstarzz: Let me ask you one more question. Is the groupie love as good as everybody say it is? Is it real or is it exaggerated? Slim: What was that, groupie love? Inkstarzz: yeah Slim: Aww man. Well, I look at it like this- groupie love is whatever... as long as a person doesn't abuse the situation.... I don't really look at people like groupies, I look at 'em as very strong supporters. Now you have some people that are very, very passionate about artists, you know what I'm sayin? I have people that are very, very passionate about Slim and they feel that they will do whatever that they think will make them happy and that will make that artist happy. What I do, I try to mold that situation. The groupie love is all love! I guess at the end of the day, if you didn't have no groupie love, you might not be in popular demand, you kind of gauge that: As long as you don't abuse the situation. It's got its pros and cons. Like Biggie said, "Mo money, Mo problems" Inkstarzz: Alright, man. Thank you for the good music and thank you for the interview Slim: Ay man, I appreciate it , and thanks for supporting ya boy. Imma continue to make it consistent. As long as the streets say "I love Slim" and "we mess with ya" Imma continue. Please invite me anytime yall need me. Inkstarzz: Alright, thanks again. Interview by: Sonnie V. |
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Slim
