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Lil Boosie: 'Prison is not a place for humans. It's an animal house' Lil Boosie: 'Prison is not a place for humans. It's an animal house'
(5 months later)
Rapper Lil Boosie was Rapper Lil Boosie was released early from prison this month after serving five years of an eight-year sentence following a guilty plea on drug charges. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native is often regarded as 'the Tupac of the south', but his reach goes beyond regional rap, as was evident from the widespread 'Free Boosie' campaigns on the internet and on the streets. He is best known for his single Wipe Me Down.
released early from prison this month after serving five years of an eight-year What have the past few weeks been like for you?
sentence following a guilty plea on drug charges. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native is often regarded as 'the Tupac of the south', but his reach It’s been lovely. I’ve basically been in the studio all night and every night. And spending time with my family. Just working and spending time with my family.
goes beyond regional rap, as was evident from the widespread 'Free
Boosie' campaigns on the internet and on the streets. He is best
known for his single Wipe Me Down.
What have the past few weeks been
like for you?
It’s been lovely. I’ve basically
been in the studio all night and every night. And spending time with
my family. Just working and spending time with my family.
And the last five years?And the last five years?
Hell. And joy.Hell. And joy.
I can imagine where the “hell” I can imagine where the “hell” came from, but the “joy”?
came from, but the “joy”? The joy comes from me beating my murder case and coming home. Me finally getting let out of those gates, you know? That’s where the joy comes in.
The joy comes from me beating my murder Did you realize your fans would be so heavy with the 'Free Boosie' stuff?
case and coming home. Me finally getting let out of those gates, you I was hearing about it, but there’s a difference between being behind the wall and hearing about it versus going outside and seeing it. I was getting like 100 letters a day in prison. I got a lot of love. People were expressing how much they need me and need my music out there, and how much my music affected their lives. I actually had some real touching letters that really touched my heart. So I was seeing it from that perspective, and I was hearing it from people who I would talk to. But me coming home and seeing the reaction? It was different than hearing it.
know? That’s where the joy comes in. Not too many people realize how you held the south down. It feels like they didn’t know what they had until it was gone.
Did you realize your fans would be I feel that way too. I’ve been running the south with my music. It’s not just the south either, it’s Baltimore, it’s the midwest. It’s been big like this. I think it took me sitting down for a minute for people to reminisce over that quality of music I was making, and really seeing that when I left, it was gone. All my fans really stepped up to the plate with 'Free Boosie'.
so heavy with the 'Free Boosie' stuff? You released several mixtapes while you were in prison, but it's difficult to record in there. Everything has to be mailed. You have cassette tapes. It’s very dated.
I was hearing about it, but there’s a Right right! We have this place called JPay where we can order a few songs, but you can’t order mixtapes and things like that. I don’t really listen to other people’s songs though. I focus on my own music, and that was hard. I couldn’t make albums; I had to handwrite all my lyrics. I dropped Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad Azz and Incarcerated while I was in there, but that was work I did before I went to prison. Even all those mixtapes I dropped while I was in prison – that was music I did before I went. It’s hard to keep your career going. I was just blessed to have music put away before I went in.
difference between being behind the wall and hearing about it versus You recently took your first selfie and discovered FaceTime. Those things didn’t exist when you went away.
going outside and seeing it. I was getting like 100 letters a day in Yeah! FaceTime, Skype. All of that technology. That wasn’t really around when I was out. I like it though. I like when I talk to people I can look in their eyes. The eyes tell a lot.
prison. I got a lot of love. People were expressing how much they Have you been catching up to some of the music that has been out?
need me and need my music out there, and how much my music affected Nah, I don’t listen to anybody but Boosie. I go in the studio and work. If I go in there and listen to everybody else, then shit, I’d go in the category that you hear on the radio all day. All the music you hear – everybody rich, everybody poppin’ bottles. Everybody’s living the good life, and nobody speaks about that pain anymore. That struggle. That’s what I’m good at. I speak about what’s going on in reality.
their lives. I actually had some real touching letters that really What would you say to Boosie fans who admire you for going to prison?
touched my heart. So I was seeing it from that perspective, and I was I would just tell them all that they trippin’. Nobody wants to go to prison and go through what I went through. Prison is not a place for humans. Period. It’s just an animal house. You don’t wanna go through that or put your family through that. They’ll hear some of the stuff in my songs. I talk about what happens in prison. That’ll wake 'em up.
hearing it from people who I would talk to. But me coming home and People call you 'the Tupac of the south.'
seeing the reaction? It was different than hearing it. It’s a blessing to be compared to Tupac. But Tupac is Tupac and Boosie is Boosie. I guess it’s because we both have heartfelt music that touches people in pretty much the same way. And I guess we both got in trouble [laughs].
Not too many people realize how you
held the south down. It feels like they didn’t know what they had
until it was gone.
I feel that way too. I’ve been
running the south with my music. It’s not just the south either,
it’s Baltimore, it’s the midwest. It’s been big like this. I
think it took me sitting down for a minute for people to reminisce
over that quality of music I was making, and really seeing that when
I left, it was gone. All my fans really stepped up to the plate with
'Free Boosie'.
You released several mixtapes while
you were in prison, but it's difficult to record in there. Everything
has to be mailed. You have cassette tapes. It’s very dated.
Right right! We have this place called
JPay where we can order a few songs, but you can’t order mixtapes
and things like that. I don’t really listen to other people’s
songs though. I focus on my own
music, and that was hard. I couldn’t make albums; I had to
handwrite all my lyrics. I dropped Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad
Azz and Incarcerated while I was in there, but that was work I did
before I went to prison. Even all those mixtapes I dropped while I
was in prison – that was music I did before I went. It’s hard to
keep your career going. I was just blessed to have music put away
before I went in.
You recently took your first selfie
and discovered FaceTime. Those things didn’t exist
when you went away.
Yeah! FaceTime, Skype. All of that
technology. That wasn’t really around when I was out. I like it
though. I like when I talk to people I can look in their eyes. The
eyes tell a lot.
Have you been catching up to some of
the music that has been out?
Nah, I don’t listen to anybody but
Boosie. I go in the studio and work. If I go in there and listen to
everybody else, then shit, I’d go in the category that you hear on
the radio all day. All the music you hear – everybody rich,
everybody poppin’ bottles. Everybody’s living the good life, and
nobody speaks about that pain anymore. That struggle. That’s what
I’m good at. I speak about what’s going on in reality.
What would you say to Boosie fans
who admire you for going to prison?
I would just tell them all that they
trippin’. Nobody wants to go to prison and go through what I went
through. Prison is not a place for humans. Period. It’s just an
animal house. You don’t wanna go through that or put your family
through that. They’ll hear some of the stuff in my songs. I talk
about what happens in prison. That’ll wake 'em up.
People call you 'the Tupac of the
south.'
It’s a blessing to be compared to
Tupac. But Tupac is Tupac and Boosie is Boosie. I guess it’s
because we both have heartfelt music that touches people in pretty
much the same way. And I guess we both got in trouble [laughs].
So what’s next for Lil Boosie?So what’s next for Lil Boosie?
I’m going to talk to a couple of high I’m going to talk to a couple of high schools, knock out my community service. The judge said, “Some kids probably listen to your music,” and they know the influence I have on the community. I’m working on my clothing line, trying to get that out in the fall, reading some movie scripts, getting into the acting also. There’s a lot of things working for me. I try to sit down every week and come up with master plans. It’s bigger than rap.
schools, knock out my community service. The judge said, “Some kids
probably listen to your music,” and they know the influence I have
on the community. I’m working on my clothing line, trying to get
that out in the fall, reading some movie scripts, getting into the
acting also. There’s a lot of things working for me. I try to sit
down every week and come up with master plans. It’s bigger than
rap.