https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjEWgSbSb3I
5th Letter- Where are you from?
Turfaholic- Iight, I'm from Pittsburg, CA. A small town in the Bay Area. About 30 minutes East east of Oakland. 45 minutes East of San Francisco.
5th Letter- What's life like out there?
Turfaholic- Shits changed the 30 years I been on the planet. I used to see drug dealers wearing jerri curls shooting dice in the playgrounds as a kid. During my teens, all my friends were alcoholics and druggies. Now everybody is grown with kids of there own and trying to start up they own business. So you know, it comes with a little good and bad. The gentrification is real though. You can go to Wal-Mart and see a rich Asian, drive two blocks and got niggas asking you to give up the shoes on ya feet. Shit gets confusing at times.
5th Letter- How did seeing that affect you growing up
Turfaholic- Shit caused split personality issues low-key. Like, In the latest 80s, early 90s Pittsburg was hit hard by the crack epidemic. Our D- Boys were driving to Oakland to get that work. Wasn't no real competition in the city because the town was so small. Half the town was grimey and strung out, then you could drive 5 minutes away to uptown. Uptown is where everybody who had that old money from World War 2 and Vietnam lived. Shits a peaceful suburb. My mother eventually moved to uptown, while my father stayed in the grimey part. During the week I would be in the suburbs living peacefully with no worries. And during the weekend I would be in the hood with strung out Aunties and Uncles. So even today in my 30s there's always apart of me that wants to get married and do the right thing, work hard. Then there's always a part of me that just wants to do drugs, get drunk, and fuck random bitches with no condom.
5th Letter- Did you get caught up in it?
Turfaholic-I dibbled and dabbled in it. Nothing too serious. My father used to be in the game. But on the wrong end of it. I can laugh at it now, but some of my earliest memories of my dad are going to rehab and counseling with him. Lol. As a kid, the one thing my dad put emphasis on was "Never do crack son". Lol. So that lightweight kept me away from drugs. Selling or using. I started smoking weed in high school. I used to get lifted. This is when California started getting real Frankenstein with the weed. So I pushed a few eighths here and there. Enough for lunch money. Then the hyphy movement kicked in. My gawd the hyphy movement. Started popping extacy every weekend. For a good year. Extacy a bath/ shower with a woman is some goat shit. But once that phase was over I kinda chilled on the drug use.
5th Letter- If you don't mind answering what do you do for a living?
Turfaholic- I do security. Last year I was doing security for hotels on the Las Vegas strip. Now I'm doing security in the projects.
5th Letter- How is that like?
Turfaholic- It's coo. I've met alot allot of celebrities and gotten into alot of events for free working security on the strip. Got into the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight for free. Billboard awards. EDC. All kinda shit. That Mayweather/ Pacquiao fight brought the bitches from all over out though. Working in the projects isn't as fun, but it comes with a little more prestige and opens up the door to better opportunities. But I deal with bullshit like Mexican dumpster divers talking shit shit in Spanish. I hate that shit. I should've stayed my ass in school
5th Letter- What made you move to Vegas?
Turfaholic- I left the Bay to join the Army. I was too head strong for that shit. Plus I was a cook, so I was mostly in the kitchen and hardly got to know my unit. Didn't really adjust to people I didn't know having so much control over my life. So that shit didn't last long. Got booted out. Figured it was time to enjoy life a little bit. Left Texas and came to Vegas. But I want to thank God for NY though. Baddest bitch I smashed out here was from the LES. Bad Puerto Rican bitch. Crazy as fuck though. How yall niggas back east deal with that shit?
5th Letter- How is life in Vegas?
Turfaholic- Shits fantastic. There's always something to do. Females to smash. Drugs to do. Shows and concerts to attend. Police got me by the balls right now though. This place lacks culture though. I'm not really a gambler. Las Vegas is little California. So many people I went to school with moving out here. Getting ready to move into a luxury apartment next week. I love it here.
5th Letter- What are your early memories of hip hop?
Turfaholic- Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock "It Takes Two".That shit was a maaaaaajor vent as a kid. I used to spend alot of time with one of my older cousins. She was going through a domestic issue. Her and her boyfriends fighting reminded me of the guy and girl screaming on "It Takes Two". So I would just imagine that song to take me away from that bullshit. I was like 4 at the time. After that, Doggystyle dropping. I was 6. My introduction and understanding to the west coast music scene. It also helped spark my interest into 70's R&B.
5th Letter- Who are your favorite and least favorite rappers?
Turfaholic- My favorite rapper is Rydah J. Klyde. He's my hometown hero. He signed to Mac Dre before the hyphy movement really jumped off. One of the original guys signed to Thizz Ent. A guy Mac Dre was really rocking with tough before he got murdered. But I'm sure y'all have no clue who that is, so ima say my favorite commercial rapper is Snoop. His flow on Doggystyle is the smoothest flow I've heard in the genre.
5th Letter- What are your favorite albums?
Turfaholic- Good question.... they change with the seasons.
My number 1 will always be 400 Degreez. Mannie Fresh production was crazy. Juvie penned a very versatile album. Remaining 4 in no particular order. Doggystyle, Love Below/ Speakerboxxx, Get Rich Or Die Trying, & R&G Rhythm & Gangsta.
5th Letter- Bay Area hip hop is an acquired taste what's your thoughts on people's disparaging remarks about your areas hip hop?
Turfaholic- It is what it is. We been dealing with it for awhile now. Most people give props to Mac Mall, Spice-1, Too $hort, and some times Uncle Earl. When the West was on top in the 90s the Bay area music scene only outlet to the world was only Jive and they didn't have clout like Ruthless and Death Row in L.A. so we didn't really get to shine that much. Pac died and besides Dre & Snoop the West went quiet. The Bay developed it's its own sound, but only Uncle Earl was the only one who was able to bring it to the masses. Mac Dre died, then magazines and MTVs came around. That's was during when all the Mac Dre clones was dropping 1,000 song a day. So people had to filter through the bullshit. So I understand. But I also have the vision to see our style was heavily bitten. California really started it's comeback with the Nu Boyz. That "You're a Jerk" song. Them were two L.A. kids making music to Bay Area sounding beats. So it went from being bitter to just recognizing that no matter what, we got a grasp on the culture. DJ Mustard got on using Bay Area sounding beats. Iggy Azealia hopped in the game using a Bay Area sounding beat. That "Fancy" song? Yeah that's a Bay Area beat. Even on the IC. Peezy Jenkins.....Peezy? That's Bay Area lingo. Mdizzle? Izzle? That's Bay Lingo. H to the Izzo, V to the izzay....bay lingo. So we here. Made or impression on The culture quietly. For the record, Drake sampled Too $hort on his new hit "For Free".
