Illuminati 2G

Illuminati 2G chilled with H-Town representer E.S.G. for a exclusive interview. We discuss the Screwed Up movement that he was and still is a part of and it's impact on music, his new album dropping September 29th, Everyday Street Gangsta, and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with ESG how's it going?

Man I am good. Feeling blessed.

For those unfamiliar with your music, tell me a little bit about how you got your start in hip hop.

I came up out here in H-Town with the whole Screwed Up movement in 1995. My first song, Swangin N Bangin, is one of the top 3 H-Town hip hop songs of all time right behind Mind Playing Tricks On Me. That was my introduction to the game, fresh out of high school and I put out my first album, Ocean Of Funk, and that sold over 100,000. Then unfortunately I got incarcerated and then I dropped Sailin The South, while I was still in jail and I did 200,000 on that one. Then around 1997, 1998 I dropped my first album independent after that, Return Of The Living Dead and that did 6,000 independent. After that I did Shinin N Grindin, that is around 100,000 right now. City Under Siege is over 100,000 by now, then I dropped Boss Hogg Outlawz with Slim Thug and that did over 100,000, wrote the hook to one of the songs on there. So I have been grinding for years man, paving the way for these young soldiers after me so that is what I am doing.

In your personal opinion, did you think that the Chopped & Screwed movement would blow up the way that it did and what are your thoughts of other DJs other than the originators of the music trying to do it as well?

Man for us Screwed Up members or friends or real close people to the music all knew. I could just never enjoy it because DJ Screw was not near to witness the success. I still look at it like we never got that listen from others like I feel we are supposed to. Because when you say chopped & screwed, the first thing alot of the bloggers say is that or accuse the music of is that it is only about candy paint and sippin syrup all the time. We got pigeonholed for that, and then once Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, and Slim Thug came through, then people were more like ok let's see what they have to offer. The ESG's, the Keke's, Pokey, Z-Ro, Fat Pat, Big Hawk, we were doing that kind of music for years. But the world never got to hear that, because we were selling so many records regionally that we did not care about no record deals. We were not on BET and MTV, but after I do a show, I am signing 20 or 30 autographs and that was just 2 weeks ago.

I did a show in San Antonio, I took about 60 pictures. I am standing in a club taking pictures with all these people and I have never been on BET. That just goes to show you that we been made it with no major deal. I feel like I should have been heard on a bigger scale. People tell me that all the time. I think originally people were scared of the whole Screwed Up music thinking that it was regional music instead of nationwide music, but if you listen to alot of the hooks today, it sounds alot like the chopped & screwed stuff. When Rick Ross did the Hustlin song, the hook reminds you of a chopped & screwed song. T-Pain does a little of it too, so I know if Screw was still alive it would have been even bigger. We long overdue (laughs)

Yeah that is something..., that is why I asked that question. I see alot of other regions borrow different styles from other places. When Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug were out there doing it big and having major success, they helped elevate that music. It like you said, just seemed like it kind of stayed Houston but when other people outside of Houston or Texas would use it, it would become more regional. Almost taking credit for it because of the success they recieved doing it, but alot of those people outside of Texas are not knowing where that originates and comes from.

Alot of times it can be the label's fault as well. The label might have a A&R and they do not know alot about the music. They are given some music from a particular region and the song may have been hot there for 4 or 5 months. Then they want to put a album out nationwide and re release the same song as a single so now it is like ok now you are getting a little buzz in other places, but out here or where it originated, people do not want to hear it no more because they had been playing it in the beginning. Alot of times you just have to be the kind of artist that is smart enough to do your grind and be about your business, and keep it at a happy medium, to where both the artist and label can both be happy and accomplish the same goal. Soon as something goes bad, it is almost always the artist blaming the label, or the label blaming the artist.

Alright let's get to the present. Tell me a little bit about your new album, Everyday Street Gangsta, coming out September 29th.

Man I am pretty much re introducing the whole Screwed Up movement to the world man. I am doing it for the south and the people that like these country rap tunes. I am just letting people know, you won't be able to tell where the production is from. You won't know if it is was produced from Atlanta or New York or H-Town because I feel that the album is very well rounded. If you have never heard ESG, just take a taste of it. Once you hear it, I guarantee if you have any good music opinions, once you hear me tell you who I am, and how I got to where I am at, you will like it. I am authentic with it and I am just giving it to the people real.

Just giving the people some music to vibe to in these hard times and struggles that the whole world is in right now. People are starving in the hood, crime rate is sky high, so I am trying to give the people something uplifting and make everybody enjoy it at the same time make a couple radio hits here and there. We been major with no deal, so that is how we are gonna keep grinding. Now we are on E1, and people can hear me more. Back then I would not have cared about no distribution, I already told you the numbers I was already doing earlier in my career, so back then we were good.

But now the competition is higher, especially with the major radio stations. Back then, 6 or 7 years ago, there was no such thing as a list.

Right

They were playing whatever that was hot. SHIT, now alot of shit is political now so I am just going along with the times. Especially with the burning and the bootlegging of cds. You got to give the people and the streets and the hood what they want, because it is hard to convince someone to spend 10 dollars on a album, when you have people sitting at home that can just get their favorite songs off of albums on ITunes. The shit just ain't like what it used to be, so you just have to stick with it, keep grinding and give the people what they want.

Do you have a upcoming single or video set to drop from the album before the album drops?

Yeah the first single is called Gangsta Anthem: (http://limelinx.com/files/31c63a2cd8f38301712dcdafa031af73). It is just that, a gangsta anthem. The way hip hop is now, you have everybody dancing in the club and all that. The same amount of people you got dancing in the club, you have the same amount of people like me, chilling in the club or just riding and doing whatever we doing. We don't do them dances like that, we just do us and keep it gangsta. Body rocking and all that, well maybe on the east coast they call some of that 2 stepping or whatever. The beat and the rhythm is for every hood. The beat is not H-Town, it is just universal which the whole album is like that.

After that, me and Bun-B give you a tour of H-Town on Still Tippin. Me and Chamillionaire do something for the soldiers that are fighting on this battlefield in hip hop and in Iraq. Me and Trae put you through a trip through the south on there, I got my son on there, I got a song called Prayed Up. No matter if you are a hustler or a G, you should be a God fearing man because we are all straddling that fence. I just try to give you a variety, because even if you are hood, street or not, if you like good, authentic music were a artist is not just blowing smoke up your ass, and you want real music that you can relate to, I think you should check out the album.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates that you want to let the people know about?

Yeah I have been on a 9 year tour if you really look at it.

Laughs

Nah man we been out here grinding. We are always on the road. I have alot of shows but they are mostly in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and in those areas around there. Once we get the single out, I will be in other places like Florida, Atlanta and I will just be making my rounds and show the whole Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and others that have been fucking with me for years. We are going to keep it gangsta and give yall some good music man. Once people see my show, I think that will be enough to make even new fans want to fuck with my music even more. That is what I am going to do.

What is your myspace or website information for people looking to check out your music and see what you got going on?

www.myspace.com/therealesg. Just keeping them real country tunes going for the Pimp C's, DJ Screw's, Big Hawk's. Know what I am talking bout.

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. Is there any last words or shoutouts you want to get out there to the people?

Man shoutout to everyone out there trying to make it through these times. Shoutout to E1 for taking a chance on a real trill. I am about to give yall some quality, southern hip hop man for this 09 and beyond. Is about to go down.

Appreciate the interview.

I appreciate you.