LY T N E I T PA AITING W
BABY B NEW O
B
“KATRINA HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY. I WAS IN THE CLUB THAT NIG [BEFORE] HT WILDIN’ OUT.”
S, LA
efore K atr Boy Da ina, nineteen P tention rince was gar year-old Baby n as the o Choppa pening ering citywide . Shortl act for aty there manage No L aft m ment (w ent company, er, New Orlea imit’s n B h and Ch ose clients in osshogg Enter s clu op ta Boy to pa), took inte de B.G., Juve inrest, an its impr nile d added essive li Enterta st Ba in indie la ment would la of clients. Boss by bel Extr hogg ter strik eme En before e Baby B tertainm a deal with o y knew an open ent, and it in Cent, Ju g act for plati , he was tourin num ar venile, g as tist and Pau l Wall. s like 50 While da Baby B ys seemingly b oy r his para , Katrina wou ightened for ld d Orlean e. “A lot of rap soon rain on s, p coming when they he ers from New ard Katr they w as gone ina was as he be ,” B g ated. W ins his story. “ aby Boy says, I never hen Ka trina ha evacumy birth pp d wildin’ ay. I’m in the ened, that wa s o c I go ho ut. The next th lub that night me in up, and , in the morn g I know, in w the hou e got nothing g I wake se. My b first tim ut water in canoe w eg a heard m s riding down etting in a m e went w . I went to hig y street, ya ithout li her lan d. I ght. I w food. W en e in store had to hustle t without s, you k up, bre ak now, w our natu eh r situatio al instincts on ad to put n.” for that Instinc tiv that he ely, Baby Boy co k edy dete uld not let th new is r career in him from ma tragkin write so music. He beg g a an to ngs wh il FEMA trailer, e living in a and con to perfo tin rm the spir shows to up ued li its of N ew Orle ft residen ans ts.
But as B a patientl by Boy waits y, he’s ma the pain ful reali rred by his cha ties of oti home, o c New Orlea ns n e year aft Hurric er “Everyth ane Katrina’s the way Orlean a lot of going. E up, wh crazy rig wrath ing sE ich m v it ht now , ya hea is sad. The cr eryplace else is oney down he ast, that they was, but the is getting bac . r k Throug h rd me.” im e r e a ’s b , v a e o a e c n n r n k a d ep ’t te done c h got wor rack-a-lackin’, I’m not under done nothing art, New Baby B it all, Baby Bo standin to. The oy’s hit se on th you kn y mana g wher o single “ e West Baby B ged to w e the m y got T oy Bank, w w. The crime on rate do Orlean will soon be he Way I Live eather the sto here I’m ne wen ey’s s. “Cross rm and ,” Extre releasin from, y t back put his me Ente of New g his de the Wa o u k n ra ow. It’s b O r te just I’m for rleans is whe r is a town th ut album Cross tainment was p career back re that [oth on ab at T er] side the No Limit other rappers he Water, an le to obtain a schedule. Fro and the , so now d d m in e h a the bu e’s loo New O l with Words: C it’s tim Randy e to talk ash Money pe rleans never king to shed so Universal Re zz surroundin Roper public R g talked a ople [re m about th e li g ht bout,” B present] ec at side.” aby Boy on his side of ords. . They never ta N sa e y w s. “T lk abou t the oth he East Bank pa er side, you kn rt ow. 58
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RLEAN