PIMPIN’ know if they’re gonna keep ‘em yet, but it’s been a lot of them. Did the situation with Jermaine Dupri leaving Virgin Records leave y’all in a bad position? Not really. For those that don’t know, I made the track for “White Tee.” Parlae did the track for “Lean Wit’ It, Rock Wit’ It,” and I did “Oh, I Think Dey Like Me” too. We made all of our hits. Jermaine left Virgin and went over to Def Jam, and that whole year we were trying to negotiate and he was trying to take us over to Def Jam, but it didn’t work out. We ended up staying at Virgin. We’re still cool but his contract at Def Jam [says that] he can only work with Def Jam artists. What does the album title mean to you? Point Of No Return means that right now we’re at the peak of our career and it’s no turning back. It’d be a little crazy if you just roll up to a McDonalds or Burger King and see us cooking burgers. We’re at the point of no return so we’re gon’ have to make it do what it do. Worst case scenario, what would you do if the music thing didn’t work out for you? Shit, I’m gon’ be back in the streets. But that’s why I’m setting up business ventures. I’ve got a shoe store right now on Jonesboro Road [in Atlanta] and my production company is doing pretty good, so I’m gonna try to keep it moving when this rap game is over with. What kind of shoes do you sell at your store? Custom shoes, something like I’ve got on right now. (points to his feet) Basically, it’s the “you ain’t got these” that we sell. Everything you see us wearing in the videos, you can go right to the store and get it. The store is called Sportz Center and it’s on Jonesboro Road right in front of South Lake Mall. Isn’t it hard to maintain a retail store when you’re on the road all the time? Naw, cause I have a silent partner. She handles everything while I’m gone. They send me all the inventory on my iPhone so I can check it, call ‘em back, tell ‘em what I want, and they ship it in and ship it out. We’ve got the internet camera [in the store], so I can always go on the internet and see what’s going on and then pick up the phone to call them like, “Tuck your shirt in.” (laughs)
What have Dem Franchize Boyz been working on during this trip to New York? We’ve just been getting ready to come back out. We’ve been taking a lot of pictures for a lot of different magazines and doing radio spots, and we’ve got a show today for a school. Yesterday we got a couple awards from the school for our community service. Basically, we’ve been promoting. What kind of community service have you been doing? Just going to different schools and hollering at the kids. We tell them a positive message: stay in school, do your homework, stuff like that. We’ve been doing this in the A, too. Elementary schools, high schools, middle schools, wherever. It doesn’t make headlines when rappers do community service, though. Naw, they don’t care about nothing like that. They just like it when you get locked up; that’s when they really promote you. They don’t care about the good [stuff]. Some people do, but some people don’t. I love the kids, you know? I’ll continue doing it. Why did you name yourself Pimpin’? I’m not pimpin’ women, but I’m pimpin’ this game. I’m pimpin’ these beats that I sell; these verses. I put them on the track and that brings me money back. Plus, my older brother’s name is Pimpin’, so everybody in the hood used to call me Lil’ Pimpin’. I ain’t little no more, so it’s just Pimpin’. Do you and Parlae do most of the beats for the group? Yeah, but on this album I’ve been so busy working with other artists I didn’t get any beats on the album. Parlae’s got like two, but I’ve got some songs coming up. I’ve been working with [Yung] Joc. I’ve got some tracks with some of our other artists, like Joe Blow and Young Nut, and I submitted a couple of tracks to some other artists. I don’t want to say any names because I don’t
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What’s the best song on the album, in your opinion? Well, I’d say “Roll Your Arms,” which is another dance song. We had a disagreement of how we should present ourselves to the public. I think we should still come out on that snap shit, and right now “Roll Your Arms” is catching a big movement. You can go on YouTube, type in “Roll Your Arms,” and you’ll see the video that we shot for it. What position do you play in the group? I’m the most business-minded. If I see a glitch in the matrix, I’m the one that’s gon’ try to straighten it out. I understand it a little bit more so I’m more business-like about it. I’m the one on the paperwork. They might not look at the paperwork, but I do, and I’m like, “Hold up!” Then I’ll bring it to their attention, like, “This shit here ain’t right.” I’m into the business side and the production aspect. Where do you think you got your business mind from? Did you go to college or is something you’ve always been into? Me, Parlae, and Buddie went to college. I stayed a semester and then dipped. I’m not the school type, but this mentality comes from hanging around older people. All my friends are older than me, like 30 or 40. It just comes from hearing their experiences. I like to keep my ears open and just listen, and I’ve learned a lot. So the album comes out on April 1st? Yep, April Fool’s Day, y’all haters. Real talk. Is there anything else you want to say to the haters? Man, y’all can keep hating me, but you need to hate with a pair of my shoes on your feet. So go holla at your boy at the Sportz Center right there on Jonesboro Road. You can go to myspace.com/sportzcenter1 or call 770-9612136.