TallBoy.us The Tall Boy Experience!
It was a night of old skool Hip-Hop at Phillips Arena in Atlanta when the festivities jumped off. One of the gem performances that night was New Orleans-bred rapper Juvenile.
A rare live performance by the man who helped shape the sound of southern Hip-Hop, also known as the “Dirty South,” the crowd showed so much love to this 25-years veteran of the music industry. It was great to see that the 39-year old still got it going on, and he did more than perform: he delivered.
The back story for those who don’t know – or forgot – is a career that began in 1991 as a member of the pioneer group “The Hot Boys” when he was 19-years old. This began the association with Cash Money records, but true to his thirst for the business, he quickly moved into the spotlight as a solo artist in 1995. It helped that along the way he associated with such rap icons as Cash Money Millionaires, T.I., Jeezy, Yo Gotti, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Bun B, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Jay Z, Ludacris, UTP. It wasn’t long before he put his unique stamp by becoming a sought after actor, songwriter and producer; also signing with Universal Records, UTP Records, and Atlantic Records.
Juvenile believes that music today is caught between two pulpits: good vs. bad. He views the internet as the bad part but recognizes it’s the driving force behind it. The good part is that artists are winning today.
Yet, there is a difference in hustle vs. network according to Juvenile. The hustle is about being there, making things happen when there’s nothing there. Networking is making room for the next person because often it’s not about you.
Ask Juvenile how he wants to be remembered and he’ll passionately say he was about energy and having respect for the game. Not bad for a man who can still make a mean “dirty-bird sandwich.”
- Joseph Walker, III
Follow Juvenile on Twitter @JUVIETHEGREAT