FSD: With the recent renaissance of Chicago rap, how do you feel about being one of the torch bearers? Is there a lot of pressure, or is it smooth sailing?
Bo Deal: It’s easy sailing for me. This is like taking candy from a baby, or like riding a bike. I like what the artists here are doing around here — they are uniting and coming together. Then you got a few artists that’s getting national buzz everywhere else, which makes it easier for other artists to break though. So like I said, despite how I may feel about certain groups, or certain things that is going on, I gotta salute everybody that’s working.
The new wave, I like their movement. Like King Louie and them. Chief Keef, Lil Durk and Paris Beuller — they on the rise. You gotta salute, they’re working. I like how they’re doing it, too, because they’re doing it with their niggas. They’re bringing their people in through the door with them, so you gotta salute that. As for as me and L.E.P., what we done did was undeniable. As far as major production, a national buzz, national spotlight, major features and all that — it ain’t too many artists here that actually broke down the barriers. And all mines came off the muscle. I never paid for a feature, I never paid for a track — none of that. And I got songs with everybody. Major production from everybody from Lex Luger, to Lil’ Lody, to Fat Boi. I got major productions and features that I’ve never paid one dollar for. They just respect my grind and hustle.
FSD: Plus they saw that Debo video!
Bo Deal: [Laughs]
FSD: One of my favorite tracks on The Chicago Code 2 is “What You Need”, and I couldn’t help but notice the beat on Rick Ross’ track “Holy Ghost” is the exactly the same. What was your initial reaction? Was there any hostility towards the producer, Lil Lody, after the release of Ross’ track?
Bo Deal: No, because with mixtapes, they shoot the tracks out to a lot of artists. So Rick Ross got it. Yo Gotti got it on the joint called “Colors” with him, Gucci, and Juelz Santana. We rap on other people’s tracks all the time for mixtapes; so it was the same thing. Only difference is they’re national — they’re major label artists. So it gets heard by more people when they put it out. But his “Holy Ghost” ain’t fucking with my “What You Need.” So yeah, that’s all that was. He shot it to me, and let me put it out first. Then after a couple of months, he shot it out to everyone else.
FSD: The remix to your single “Wow,” has picked up a lot of steam as of late. How did you assemble the all-star cast for the new single?
Bo Deal: I reached out and called everyone — I have all of these people’s phone numbers. It was just a phone call away. Yo Gotti was supposed to hop on it as well; but he was on the road, so I’m going to throw Yo Gotti on something else. I call these people, get on the phone like “I got a track I need you on.” If they like it, I send it, and they send it right back. Like I said, they respect my grind, and respect my hustle. We don’t talk about no money or none of that — they tell me to send it, and that’s it. The song definitely picked up like crazy, though. We’re shooting a video next month.
I just talked to Flocka about a week ago, and he’s going half on it with me. I already told you my situation with them — it’s half and half. It’s Brick Squad Monopoly, but it’s still Ground Up, which is mine. I meet him in the middle, and we going half on the video. Everybody is confirmed for it, too. It’s really just getting everybody’s schedule together to shoot it. But we’re going to do it big, and make sure it’s ready for TV. It actually picked up a lot quicker than I thought; with all the blogs and everybody that picked it up and retweeted it. It was on damn near every blog site — I was like, damn. That was like the first time that happened for me. Y’all [FSD] was the first one to get it, too.
FSD: Your guest appearance resume is quite impressive. Who is one artist you’ve done a joint with that people might not know about?
Bo Deal: I did a joint with my man Malice from the Clipse. It was on one of their mixtapes, one of they Re-Up Gang tapes.
FSD: The We Got It For Cheap tape?
Bo Deal: The one right before that. I was staying in Virginia Beach for about a year and I plugged up with them.
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Good interview and salute to the homie Bo Deal!!! He been grinding for a minute and he 1 of the few artist that represent the “real Chicago”!!! 089 Hustlaz got ya back big homie!!! Sweeper!!!!
Good look for the big homie
I always thought this guy didn’t have any sense, I respect him a whole lot more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1lwzLjRbMQ
Hi to Bo Deal’s interviewer,
I enjoyed reading the interview with Bo Deal. After following the local hip hop scene for several years as a photographer, it is nice to hear about the business itself and the context for the performances I attend!
Thanks,
Emily Grimes