So how does one bring the hustler’s mentality into the boardroom? The simple answer is to sit back and take notes from the person who does it on a regular basis.
With you being from Memphis, how was it like growing up there?
Yo Gotti: It was like any typical city with a ‘hood… There’s gangsters in every city… You had your hustlers, and all of that other type of stuff…
When you first started rapping, was it hard for you to get noticed out there?
Yo Gotti: There were a couple of artists that were big from the city at the time… But the difference between me was that when I first started rapping, I planned on making it to this point…
For a lot of artists at first, this wasn’t their plan… I never got mad at DJ’s or radio stations not playing my sh*t, because I knew I would make it here…
What’s the one thing that most people don’t know about “Yo Gotti”?
Yo Gotti: As far as the business, I handle all of my business hands-on… I’m not like the logo they try and put on a rapper, by getting a lot of money and getting high… I’m more focused, I’m not smoking and I’m not drinking… I ain’t doing sh*t on top of the business…
Any parts of this business leave a bad taste in your mouth so far?
Yo Gotti: It’s just understanding the business, [they] only play number games… It’s not personal; they don’t care nothing about your music… Or how good or bad it sounds…They just care about what’s going to make them money… [Laughs]
“What’s the plan you’re going to put together, so we can eat off this sh*t…” [Laughs]…
When you’re a rapper, you get personally caught up in the music, because it’s yours… I had to learn as a businessman to separate “Yo Gotti” the artist, and learn as a CEO to not take that sh*t personal… You can’t be stuck in artist mode; you know what I’m saying?
How did you land this situation over here at J Records?
Yo Gotti: When TVT folded, the labels knew I was about to be free, so a lot of them reached out… Everybody made offers, and we went and met up with everybody…
We had companies that offered us a lot more money, but it wasn’t about the money, it was about finding the right team… To me, when I came out of all the meetings, this was the best team to go with if you want to win, and not just get one check…
Right now you have Live From The Kitchen cooking up, so what can people expect to hear from it?
Yo Gotti: I’m just trying to make it a classic; you know what I mean? I covered the fan base I already got, and I made it a mainstream record at the same time… We made sure we had club sh*t, feel good sh*t, sh*t for the women, and we just made the sh*t a classic…
Who did you work with this time around?
Yo Gotti: I worked with a lot of producers, from the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, to Jim Jonsin, Cool & Dre, Drumma Boy, and some others. Right now, I only have [Lil] Wayne and [Rick] Ross as far as features on the album…
Is that just for right now, or do you plan on having more features?
Yo Gotti: I do my sh*t based off what makes sense… I don’t just get n*ggas on my sh*t for no reason… After I do a song, and if it sounds like I need, or if I think they’ll sound good on it; then I’ll do that…
Would you consider this project right here to be your biggest one to date?
Yo Gotti: Yeah, it’s going to be the biggest one because of the situation… Now we’re with a bigger label in J Records/Polo Grounds, so it’s most definitely going to be the biggest one…
With that said, did you approach this one with a different mindset versus your previous projects?
Yo Gotti: I got the same mindset, but the only difference is when I do a mixtape, I’m working with smaller producers… Right now, we’re going in the studio with bigger producers, and we’re seeing what they have to offer…
Did you put any added pressure on yourself, just for the simple fact of a bigger machine being behind you now?
Yo Gotti: The pressure I put on myself, I put it on myself naturally, the label can’t put no pressure on me…
What was your favorite song to record from the album?
Yo Gotti: The thing is: I haven’t actually picked the whole album yet… So far I have like over 100 songs, and I’m still picking them… I got this one song called ‘Look In the Mirror’ that I really f*ck with, and I have another one called ‘Testimony.’
So what first gave you the idea to start the Cocaine Muzik Mixtape series?
Yo Gotti: People always liked my intros… So when I did the
Gangsta Grillz and we were passing out the CD’s, I used to tell my homeboys to try and make people play the first song, because I think the first song is important…
The first song determines whether a n*gga is going to throw your sh*t out the window, or keep listening to the sh*t… Then I came to the concept of if you listen to the first song, and then you’ll be addicted to the whole CD…
With everyone having their downloadable mixtapes on the Internet, you ever get concerned with thoughts of your material getting drowned out?
Yo Gotti: No, because I’m a hot n*gga… There’s difference between a hot song, and a hot n*gga… When you have one song, and it’s gone, you’re gone… When you have street material like I do, you’re not going anywhere… So I’m not tripping off that…
With your album dropping in February, right now it seems everyone is into first week numbers, even the fans. So is first week numbers something that fills your head as well?
Yo Gotti: Everybody wants to sell, and you want to be the best and do the best… So of course you pay attention to it, but it ain’t no sh*t like that I think makes or breaks you personally…
