Missing In Action
Archie Eversole
Last seen: 2002 Spotted In: Atlanta, GA @ Chicago’s Very Own Restaurant Back in 2002, 16-year-old Archie Eversole was riding high on Atlanta’s pre-Crunk explosion wave. His debut album Ride Wit MDirty South Style was one of the year’s most popular albums off the strength of his smash hit “We Ready.” The anthem that borrowed from Steam’s 1969 novelty hit and sports arena favorite “Na Na Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” made the charismatic Atlantarepresenter both a regional and national star. Unfortunately, his shine faded away after years of contract disputes with his former label Phat Boy/MCA, practically silencing him for six years. Now 22, Archie has returned independently with his new label Slummed Out Ent./Dry Rain Entertainment, a joint venture with platinum producer Needlez (50 Cent, Young Buck, Rich Boy, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco). With plenty of years still ahead of him, Archie is back on the scene with his new single “What Money Sounds Like.” He wants to get the world ready all over again. What have you been doing? I’ve been doing production. You know Ray Lavender from Konvict? I did a couple records for him on the production tip. I’ve been grinding, just trying to work. I was stuck in that [Phat Boy] deal for like 5 years, and that’s what pushed me to the dungeon. I couldn’t put out any records legally, so I had to start pushing in another direction. I get in the streets here and there. Ask ‘em about me, they’ll tell you. What’s changed about you since then? Stepping in at a young age, you’re just doing it for the love of rapping. But then you start looking at these contracts and realize that it’s way more than just rapping. There’s money getting made out here. So I went in that direction. You need to pick up the book All You Need to Know About the Music Business. Read it, don’t breeze through it. I did that myself, which got me into the situation I’m in now where I’m a partner in the label, not just an artist. You appear to be pretty happy. What’s kept you from coming back out on bitter note? People that know me will tell you that I was
wild as hell. I was beating niggas up in the club, religiously. I was taking the anger I had towards [Phat Boy CEO Mason Hall] and how he did me in the game out on some other shit. I’m a Godfearing man, and you’ve got to forgive [people]. If you don’t do that, you can’t move on. You can’t cry over spilled milk. You’ve gotta get up and keep grinding. I ain’t got time for that shit anymore. I’ve got mouths to feed. Do you feel like a new artist more than a returning one? For the people who don’t know me, yeah, I feel new. But the people who do know me, I’m still me. I just got back from Miami, and people who still know me tell me I ain’t changed a bit, especially at my shows. I dropped “We Ready” when I was 16. The kids that were 10 [years old] at that time are now 16 or 17. They might need an older dude to remind them who I am. Do you look at going through the situation you did so early in your career as a blessing? I feel like that’s the biggest thing. I tell my partners that I feel like I’m the most blessed young nigga in this music business. One, I got the opportunity to have a name [already]. We all know that makes its that much easier. When the [radio station] program directors see my CD they go, “Oh, oh yeah? I fuck with that little nigga.” Being a youngin’ in the game, people want to help you, like, “Oh, that’s my little homie.” So when they see you, they want to see you win. As soon as they hear that I’m not around [my former CEO] anymore, they’re like, “Oh, what’s up!” That’s the biggest blessing of it all. Words by Maurice G. Garland Photo by Ben Rose
Since Archie’s Last Album: George W. Bush created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Two Olympic Games passed Three Spider-Man movies have been released FUBU has gone out of style
OZONE MAG // 21