YG Responds to Suge Knight Comments
After all these years, and all those controversies, Death Row co-founder Suge Knight's words still carry weight. Just ask YG.
"That's what's up," exclaimed the rising star in response to Suge saying that YG's the only one coming out of Compton these days who hasn't "bowed down."
"You know, Suge Knight did a lot in the rap game. He came from Bompton, too. He came from the streets. They sold a lotta records. He had a lot to do with a lot of artists' success, so for him to say something like that about me and my situation, what I'm doing, that's A-1," YG continued.
Suge made the declaration during an exclusive interview with BET.com during which he named the Bompton rhymer the de facto leader of the new West Coast regime.
"YG really pushing Bompton," Suge said. "Other than that, I can't think of one Compton rapper [doing the same], even if it's Game. Game in an article saying that he's a 'former' gang member. You're not old enough to really be a gang member yet you say you're a 'former' gang member. YG is a guy that, he represent his music, he represents the city. YG is the only one that made it that has not bowed down and showed he had panties."
Those kind of lofty expectations don't faze, YG, however. Before he took the stage at the House of Blues in his Los Angeles as the night's headlining act, the "My Hitta" rapper spoke about maintaining, especially since his debut album, My Krazy Life, dropped.
"I don't feel [any] pressure 'cause of my situation, how I came in the game," noted YG. "I came in from the bottom, you feel me, and each year I been one step up, then two steps up, so [me] and the people around me feel like it can only go up from here."
Although Cali will always be home for him, Mr. "Toot It and Boot It" also championed the city of Atlanta for giving him a renewed sense of focus while recording.
"I made the whole album except for three records [in Atlanta]," remembers YG. "We started on the "My N---a" record in Atlanta. I did my verse, and everything else I did to the song in LA.'"Bicken Back Being Bool,' that was recorded in New York. 'Who Do You Love,' I did that in L.A. too, but everything else was done in Atlanta."
He explained, "It was real important because I went to Atlanta to sit down and focus. I couldn't do it out here in L.A. The homies [are] out here, there's a lot going on out here. I like being in the streets, I like being turnt up, doing all the club everything. So I be out here for a month or two in the studio and we really weren't getting nothing done. We got one or two records done in two months. So I had a conversation with Sickamore, my A&R. He said, 'We goin' to Atlanta.' Me and him flew out there. We was out there by ourself for like a week. We stayed out there the whole summer and came out with the My Krazy Life album."
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(Photos from left: SPW/Splash News, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)