NEW YORK (AP) â two decades ago, he prepared a contingency plan in case his musical aspirations werenât achieved.
âYou donât know if youâre going to be around in 20 years,â said the drug dealer-turned-rap legend. âThe streets change fast. But itâs also a safe haven, too, âcause it was like, âOK, well, if it doesnât work, maybe I can go back.ââ
But there would be no need: âLetâs Get It: Thug Motivation 101â was met with monumental success. The album, deemed a classic by critics and fans, detailed the Atlanta rapperâs navigation of the drug trade and street life. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with singles like âSoul Survivorâ featuring Akon â which reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 â and âGo Crazy,â featuring a Jay-Z verse many consider one of his greatest.
With distinctive ad-libs as memorable as his vivid storytelling, Jeezy displayed his gift of motivation, inspiring a vast cross-section of fans.
âThe music and the words resonated so well because they came from a real place. I wasnât trying to entertain â I was trying to reach," said the âMy Presidentâ rapper, who has consisting of real estate and partnerships.
In honor of the album's 20th anniversary, Jeezy is tour on June 27 in Miami, encouraging fans to come sharply dressed for the upscale performances. The Color of Noize Orchestra will back him, along with guest DJ Drama from their acclaimed âTrap or Dieâ mixtape.
Jeezy spoke with the Associated Press about the album's legacy, social media discourse and his infamous snowman shirts that were banned at schools over accusations of promoting drug culture. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: It's hard to describe the magnitude of âTM:101â when it dropped. What was that time like?
JEEZY: I just had this feeling that â if I could just get it out â that it would be life-changing for me. So, there was a lot of things I was up against at that time and I must say personally, that was probably the most adversity I ever faced. ⊠I tore my vocal cords because I had polyps on my vocal cords and didnât know it. And then around the same time, And around that time, the album got leaked.
If youâre doing something to change your life and you know that the only other avenues are prison or death, youâre just like, âThis gotta work.â
AP: Schools across the country began banning your snowman shirts. Whatâs the legacy of them?
JEEZY: Samuel L. Jackson told me something a long time ago â a great friend of mine â he just said the snowman represents people that were demonized, and it was bigger than me. ⊠It was this imagery of something that I was inspiring to be. And to know that they would suspend kids from school and keep them from wearing something that would represent that tells me that the message was loud and clear. ⊠âWe got a peopleâs champ.â
AP: How have you managed your transition from street to corporate life?
JEEZY: Itâs like a tree: It grows where itâs soft at, not where it is hard. Itâs just like over time, leaves fall off, branches fall off but the tree continues to grow.
Everybody donât have the same vision or goals. And if you allow them, theyâll sink the ship â or theyâll chop down the tree.
AP: Youâve been private about your relationships, so how have you dealt with the social media coverage about your divorce?
JEEZY: I just live my life, man. You know, joy, peace, and freedom, brother. I donât know these people, so I canât even feel no type of way. Thatâs on them â I got better things to do. Iâve got goals, dreams, aspirations, so I donât get caught up in it, âcause I donât go for the good, either. ⊠Iâm not reading the comments to see what somebody said about me good, because none of it matters.
AP: Youâre leading community service initiatives. What is that important to you?
JEEZY: I do want to shout out LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) which is my partner on my nonprofit space. Theyâre amazing. Weâre actually focusing in on prostate cancer, and then also helping the inner city youth with education, entrepreneurship. ... Iâd like to shout out the Urban League of Atlanta, and we have the Young CEOs program.
Itâs great to put out projects, itâs great to do tours. But itâs also great to help your people in the process.
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
