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Mannie Fresh Breaks Down Approach To Working With Young Jeezy
DX: [Laughs] Oh, man. Well, I’m not gonna ask you any more Wayne shit. I know folks wanna know if you’re ever gonna produce anything for Wayne again, but shit, I wanna know if you’re ever gonna do anything for [Young] Jeezy or T.I. again too?
Mannie Fresh: I just sent some stuff to [T.I.]. And … I love [Young] Jeezy. I think he’s a good artist, but it’s time for Jeezy to show growth. So, that’s kinda like where me and Jeezy bump heads at. And it’s supposed to be that, he’s supposed to have his opinion and I’m supposed to have my opinion, and we still can be friends and we still can hang out. But, basically what I see is – It’s like, if I present some songs to Jeezy, it’s not the songs that he’s looking for. He like, “Dude, I want that shit that’s like right now.” And I’m like, “Dude, but if you hired me to do something,” and I’m telling you, I’m like, “Hey bruh, I wanna give you what it sound like right now but it’s time for you to get on another train. You gotta show some growth.”
DX: That’s what I thought was so great about “And Then What.” Like, it was you and him. It was like a perfect blend.
Mannie Fresh: In all honesty, let me just tell you the situation, when “And Then What” was made Jeezy already had a street appeal, but “And Then What” put him on the national appeal. But then it was guys in the room going like, “Some of that shit that Mannie do is kinda corny, bruh. You a gangsta.” So when you hear that this is my six friends telling me, “You don’t need to do another one with him, because that ain’t really what you represent.” And I’m like, “Dude, that’s the song that everybody know. How you let somebody talk you out of [doing something else with me]?”
DX: Wow. Yeah, that’s shocking to hear. I’d think you’d want that over and over again.
Mannie Fresh: Dude, and on top of that, what I truly, truly love about Mannie Fresh [is] everybody accepts Mannie, ‘cause Mannie gonna keep it 100% Mannie. He ain’t gonna try to be nothing that’s not him. So, that’s why I think around the board Mannie Fresh works. Like, Mannie Fresh works with Asians, White folks, Black folks, whatever.
DX: I’m from Cincinnati, so I was raised on The Isley Brothers. [But] I was amazed though still that Mannie Fresh was the one that did [UGK’s] “The Pimp & The Bun” .
Mannie Fresh: Yeah! And I’m so open to doing new stuff and trying out stuff, but in this era we have artists that’s like, “Man, I’m not gonna do nothing [different]. I’m gonna try to keep it safe.” And I’m like, “Dude, shit, how many songs can we have with fuckin’ hi-hats and snares?” This is gonna sound crazy, but it needs to be said: It’s a million songs that sound like Mannie did ‘em coming from the South. And that’s not me just patting myself on my back. It’s to the point of where I’m sick of hearing that shit. [Laughs] And I get kids that tell me all the time, young producers that’s like, “Man, I grew up on your style. Shit, I like everything you did: your snare rolls, your 808s that do notes and all that.” And I’m like, “Dude, I like that shit too, but I don’t wanna hear a whole album of that.” When people hired me to do that, it was for a single purpose. Like, okay, I’m making the single. But, if you had to have me make an album – and believe me, it’s work that I’ve turned down because now nobody don’t play they role. The artist wanna be the producer, the producer wanna be the artist, and it’s just like, dude, we can’t really get this done if you don’t let me do what I do, and vice versa.
DX: So, if you’re having these difficulties with I guess you can call ‘em the mainstream cats, what are you doing right now just to keep working?
Mannie Fresh: I deejay [DJMannieFresh.com]. I deejay my ass off, dude. Like, I’m all over the place these days. That’s what I started from, and that’s where I’m at right now. And, the cool thing about the deejay game is it tells you everything that’s going on in music, what people liking. Before the Bonnaroo thing was sold as it was a reunion for me and Wayne, really I was hired to deejay at Bonnaroo. It just so happens he was there as well as me.
DX: Yeah, people don’t know Mannie Fresh been on them one’s and two’s since Jheri curls and John Stockton shorts. [Laughs]
Mannie Fresh: And I can tell you what’s super, super crazy to me right now: I’ve deejayed in New York maybe four or five times … and New York is the south now. [Laughs] It’s like, they don’t wanna hear nothing but southern songs. It is crazy, because I’m thinking like, I’m going to New York, I got all my gems, my Hip Hop classics, and you play some Mobb Deep and everybody looking at yo’ ass like, “What the fuck? Dude, play Ludacris.” And that’s [like], Wow, what happened? … But you know what it is? It’s more so this generation ain’t concerned with nothing, they the now generation. They don’t wanna do no homework for nothing, they don’t wanna know nothing about the past, none of that shit.
DX: So, I mean, are you trying to groom like new cats? Are you even bothering with the youngn’s?
Mannie Fresh: There’s a young cat who I [been] doing some songs for – and he’s on the cipher [video] with Mystikal – the dude named The Show. He’s from New Orleans. He’s a very lyrical dude. He’s that J. Cole dude of New Orleans. But, we sitting on the car, right? And Public Enemy come on, and he was just like, “Man, what the fuck is that?” He was like, “That’s the noisiest, dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.” And I mean when I tell you he offended like four old school dudes [to the point where] they wanted to fight him – They was like, “What the fuck you mean, ‘What is that?’” [Laughs]
DX: [Laughs] Wow. You remember what song it was? Like, “Welcome To The Terrordome” or something?
Mannie Fresh: Yeah, it was like “Welcome To The Terrordome” or something and he was just like, “Man, what is all that noise and shit?” And I was like, “Dude, you never heard Public Enemy?” And he was just like, “Man, all the shit they made was just loud and crazy.” And I was just like, “Wow.”
DX: So final question: What’s the next step for Mannie Fresh; what’s on deck for your 25th year in the game?
Mannie Fresh: Well, my next step is – truthfully, I’m looking for that new generation in music. And I got a couple of little cats. And we gonna work from the bottom to the top. We gonna work hard at it. I think that’s the only way it’s gonna last. Not saying I wouldn’t take a deal, but I don’t need a deal. I’d rather work for it. And that’s my next step. I would love for it to be Mystikal, and Juvenile, to start out with, but I’ve learned my lessons like … I’m passionate about this, and I don’t wanna wait for nobody. That’s where I’m at right now. I do not wanna wait for nobody, because time is passing me by. I’m older now, so I can’t sit around and say, Well, when you really ready, Mystikal, I’ma be ready. I’m like, “Dude, from all the response that people have given us from blogs and all that, that shit should make you ready.”
And what I’m saying is … there’s a lot of people that miss southern Hip Hop – the quality southern Hip Hop. They like, “What the fuck, dude, what are y’all doing? When are y’all putting these records out?” And believe me, I get bombarded with that question all the time. I could be in Burger King and it’ll be somebody that’s like, “Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you and Mystikal? What y’all doing?” And I’m like, “Dude, I’m ready to work.”
DX: [Laughs] Oh, man. Well, I’m not gonna ask you any more Wayne shit. I know folks wanna know if you’re ever gonna produce anything for Wayne again, but shit, I wanna know if you’re ever gonna do anything for [Young] Jeezy or T.I. again too?
Mannie Fresh: I just sent some stuff to [T.I.]. And … I love [Young] Jeezy. I think he’s a good artist, but it’s time for Jeezy to show growth. So, that’s kinda like where me and Jeezy bump heads at. And it’s supposed to be that, he’s supposed to have his opinion and I’m supposed to have my opinion, and we still can be friends and we still can hang out. But, basically what I see is – It’s like, if I present some songs to Jeezy, it’s not the songs that he’s looking for. He like, “Dude, I want that shit that’s like right now.” And I’m like, “Dude, but if you hired me to do something,” and I’m telling you, I’m like, “Hey bruh, I wanna give you what it sound like right now but it’s time for you to get on another train. You gotta show some growth.”
DX: That’s what I thought was so great about “And Then What.” Like, it was you and him. It was like a perfect blend.
Mannie Fresh: In all honesty, let me just tell you the situation, when “And Then What” was made Jeezy already had a street appeal, but “And Then What” put him on the national appeal. But then it was guys in the room going like, “Some of that shit that Mannie do is kinda corny, bruh. You a gangsta.” So when you hear that this is my six friends telling me, “You don’t need to do another one with him, because that ain’t really what you represent.” And I’m like, “Dude, that’s the song that everybody know. How you let somebody talk you out of [doing something else with me]?”
DX: Wow. Yeah, that’s shocking to hear. I’d think you’d want that over and over again.
Mannie Fresh: Dude, and on top of that, what I truly, truly love about Mannie Fresh [is] everybody accepts Mannie, ‘cause Mannie gonna keep it 100% Mannie. He ain’t gonna try to be nothing that’s not him. So, that’s why I think around the board Mannie Fresh works. Like, Mannie Fresh works with Asians, White folks, Black folks, whatever.
DX: I’m from Cincinnati, so I was raised on The Isley Brothers. [But] I was amazed though still that Mannie Fresh was the one that did [UGK’s] “The Pimp & The Bun” .
Mannie Fresh: Yeah! And I’m so open to doing new stuff and trying out stuff, but in this era we have artists that’s like, “Man, I’m not gonna do nothing [different]. I’m gonna try to keep it safe.” And I’m like, “Dude, shit, how many songs can we have with fuckin’ hi-hats and snares?” This is gonna sound crazy, but it needs to be said: It’s a million songs that sound like Mannie did ‘em coming from the South. And that’s not me just patting myself on my back. It’s to the point of where I’m sick of hearing that shit. [Laughs] And I get kids that tell me all the time, young producers that’s like, “Man, I grew up on your style. Shit, I like everything you did: your snare rolls, your 808s that do notes and all that.” And I’m like, “Dude, I like that shit too, but I don’t wanna hear a whole album of that.” When people hired me to do that, it was for a single purpose. Like, okay, I’m making the single. But, if you had to have me make an album – and believe me, it’s work that I’ve turned down because now nobody don’t play they role. The artist wanna be the producer, the producer wanna be the artist, and it’s just like, dude, we can’t really get this done if you don’t let me do what I do, and vice versa.
DX: So, if you’re having these difficulties with I guess you can call ‘em the mainstream cats, what are you doing right now just to keep working?
Mannie Fresh: I deejay [DJMannieFresh.com]. I deejay my ass off, dude. Like, I’m all over the place these days. That’s what I started from, and that’s where I’m at right now. And, the cool thing about the deejay game is it tells you everything that’s going on in music, what people liking. Before the Bonnaroo thing was sold as it was a reunion for me and Wayne, really I was hired to deejay at Bonnaroo. It just so happens he was there as well as me.
DX: Yeah, people don’t know Mannie Fresh been on them one’s and two’s since Jheri curls and John Stockton shorts. [Laughs]
Mannie Fresh: And I can tell you what’s super, super crazy to me right now: I’ve deejayed in New York maybe four or five times … and New York is the south now. [Laughs] It’s like, they don’t wanna hear nothing but southern songs. It is crazy, because I’m thinking like, I’m going to New York, I got all my gems, my Hip Hop classics, and you play some Mobb Deep and everybody looking at yo’ ass like, “What the fuck? Dude, play Ludacris.” And that’s [like], Wow, what happened? … But you know what it is? It’s more so this generation ain’t concerned with nothing, they the now generation. They don’t wanna do no homework for nothing, they don’t wanna know nothing about the past, none of that shit.
DX: So, I mean, are you trying to groom like new cats? Are you even bothering with the youngn’s?
Mannie Fresh: There’s a young cat who I [been] doing some songs for – and he’s on the cipher [video] with Mystikal – the dude named The Show. He’s from New Orleans. He’s a very lyrical dude. He’s that J. Cole dude of New Orleans. But, we sitting on the car, right? And Public Enemy come on, and he was just like, “Man, what the fuck is that?” He was like, “That’s the noisiest, dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.” And I mean when I tell you he offended like four old school dudes [to the point where] they wanted to fight him – They was like, “What the fuck you mean, ‘What is that?’” [Laughs]
DX: [Laughs] Wow. You remember what song it was? Like, “Welcome To The Terrordome” or something?
Mannie Fresh: Yeah, it was like “Welcome To The Terrordome” or something and he was just like, “Man, what is all that noise and shit?” And I was like, “Dude, you never heard Public Enemy?” And he was just like, “Man, all the shit they made was just loud and crazy.” And I was just like, “Wow.”
DX: So final question: What’s the next step for Mannie Fresh; what’s on deck for your 25th year in the game?
Mannie Fresh: Well, my next step is – truthfully, I’m looking for that new generation in music. And I got a couple of little cats. And we gonna work from the bottom to the top. We gonna work hard at it. I think that’s the only way it’s gonna last. Not saying I wouldn’t take a deal, but I don’t need a deal. I’d rather work for it. And that’s my next step. I would love for it to be Mystikal, and Juvenile, to start out with, but I’ve learned my lessons like … I’m passionate about this, and I don’t wanna wait for nobody. That’s where I’m at right now. I do not wanna wait for nobody, because time is passing me by. I’m older now, so I can’t sit around and say, Well, when you really ready, Mystikal, I’ma be ready. I’m like, “Dude, from all the response that people have given us from blogs and all that, that shit should make you ready.”
And what I’m saying is … there’s a lot of people that miss southern Hip Hop – the quality southern Hip Hop. They like, “What the fuck, dude, what are y’all doing? When are y’all putting these records out?” And believe me, I get bombarded with that question all the time. I could be in Burger King and it’ll be somebody that’s like, “Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you and Mystikal? What y’all doing?” And I’m like, “Dude, I’m ready to work.”
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