Pastor Troy
By Charlie Braxton
When you dropped your first underground album I Declare War: We Ready you really shook up the rap game Down South.
That first album is so special because it was so true. I gave that album everything I got. I wish that I could put myself back in the mind frame that I had back then when I was writing those songs. I’ve achieved so much more and I have so many other things around me that it’s hard to go back to that straight hunger. It’s difficult to do. No matter how hard you want to put yourself in that mind frame, it’s hard because you’re not in that mind frame anymore. Its pros and cons to all of it. I enjoyed those days. I enjoyed pitting the album out because it was just so me at that time. I just had so much power back then. I was twenty-one, twenty-two years old back then, now I’m twenty-eight years old with different responsibilities and obligations.
Back then you were beefing with Master P, have you all squashed that?
I have actually tried to reach out to P, just to see where his mind is at, not on some leaning on him or seeking some kind of assistance or nothing like that. I just wanted to let him know that shit is six to eight years old and as far as I’m concerned he’s straight with me. I’m not tripping. I respect him.
Right now everybody is on the crunk sound. You were among the new generation to help break it in the late 90s. Do you consider yourself a crunk artist?
You know who gets it crunker than the cranker! I’m the cranker! The whole world knows where I stand in it and how long I’ve been doing it. We opened up so many doors with “We Ready” it’s crazy. I was the first person to come with the chants, with that soldier style in ATL. And it just turned into the thing to be, but they can’t leave me out of it.
You still haven’t answered my question: do you consider yourself a crunk artist?
I consider myself real. If you wanna call me crunk and if my music makes you crunk then that’s cool, you can do that.
One of the things that I feel that you brought to the crunk table was lyrics. You had lyrics as well as hot chants.
That’s why I don’t like to categorize myself with that whole thing because it’s not a whole lot of lyrics in it. But a lotta the things that I do I try to include lyrics in it. It’s crazy when I see what’s taking off now and how the lyrics seem to get worse and worse now. It’s crazy.
What’s the difference between crunk and so-called trap music?
There’s not a real big difference. The whole thing is about the beats. It’s not necessarily all about the topic of conversation. It’s more about how people react to certain beats. One track might have you on a cool little vibe and other music might have you on a jump around and hurt somebody vibe.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I’ve got an independent album coming out with Select-O-Hits called Face Off Part II; it’s the sequel to my first major release with Universal. I just took that thing independent, so I got something major going on.
Who did the production on the album?
I did a lotta the work outta Memphis. Actually everything on there is outta Memphis. DJ Squeeky got a lotta monsters on there. My boy Swizzle and Drama Boy from the Drama Squad did some real tight tracks on there. You know in Memphis that whole crunk….Memphis been doing that thing for years, since Three-6 Mafia Tear da Club days. I was in college when that hit and I used to see how they used react to that shit. Ten years later Crunk’s in the forefront, but everybody thinks that it comes from Atlanta.
That’s a good point to make. Even before Three-6 was poppin’ there was Gangsta Pat, Pretty Tony, Eightball & MJG and Al Kapone doing crunk music. What’s the single on the album?
I’m going with the song “Murda Man”, just so I can state my position in this game. In fact, I’m gonna change my name to the Murda Man. When you hear this song you’re gonna say: oh shit, Troy is crazy!
You’re still keeping it hardcore and street?
Totally gangsta. You know it’s in me. I can’t help it. I love it.
The first Face Off was on Universal, what happened with your deal with Universal?
Because my contract with Universal was up and I was like in an option period. I talked with them like, “I really haven’t sprouted out like I was supposed to sprout out.” It’s cool, Their roster is big enough. They got Nelly; they got the whole Cash Money thing….it’s all cool. I opted to go back to being independent, the way I started with my fan base and sell me a quick 30,000. I already got 30,000 pre-orders at eight dollars a pop so we just gonna grind it out like that for a little while and check out some of these other options as they come. Sometime you gotta get out to go back in so you can get ya deal structured right!
What did you learn from the major label experience?
I just learn how they get it on their level. You gotta have the kinda records that they can make money off of. They gotta be making money. They have to make money because that’s what makes you a priority to them. If you’re not making money for ‘em then they’re looking for the next thing that will. And that’s just what it is. It was cool. I enjoyed my stay, but I’m gonna like my independent stint even better.
Is your current album similar to your previous albums?
I’m trying to put about eighteen tracks. And I’m talking about they’re the kinda tracks that Pastor Troy is really known for. Gangsta! Gangsta! With a label like Universal there’s a lotta restrictions on your music… censorship.
What kinda censorship did Universal put on your music?
Like the song “Visa Versa” it was a lotta words that we had to twist in and some of the name calling.
Was it the line about the Virgin Mary?
It was something like that but, that’s not what was said. During the course of the whole song it just made perfect sense. It was like “The views of all these muthafuckas is making me sick, Mary might not fuck nobody but she suck dick. With a click of nasty concubines it’s visa versa so she probably do the whole nine.” It was the song. Taking that out took a lot away from the song. I wish that it would have went straight through, I probably would have gotten some controversial press from USA Today or something because I was ready to discuss my standpoint on things. They slow you down when you gonna come like that though.
Throughout your career you’ve been through many ups and down. But you’ve managed to keep on going when many of your peers have bowed out. What motivates you to stay in the game?
I think it’s the fact that I know they can’t stop me. My hustle is so damn complex. I’ve been in this game six or seven years and kick something fresh everyday. I keep stacks on deck everyday. A lotta people can’t say that. I done watch a lotta people come and go. And I done see a lotta niggas that’s done came, but they’re going.
A lot of artists came in biting your style—Miracle and Archie Eversole come to mind immediately. How do you feel about that?
It’s flattering. It just let me know that I have to stake my real claim. Even cats like Lil Scrappy…..I remember the lil boy when he was in high school coming to my shows. Now he coming to me like he a Don or something like that. This is crazy! They just don’t know all of the doors that was slammed in my face to make their careers even possible! But it’s all cool though, may the best man win! Hang around….one album ain’t gonna do it! I’m blowing up independent and I’m getting six to eight dollars a CD as opposed to being signed to a label. I got game for this thing. I’ve done turned down $500,000 deals on the phone. I’m like why would I take y’all little $500,000 when I can take the little money that y’all already done gave me and put out a album independently. I got a chance to make that off 50,000 0r 60,000 CDs and make that on my own and still be able to do what I wanna do. I do those kinda of numbers in a week. If I can make $500,000 and not have a boss then I’m more than happy. I’m ecstatic!
