Hip-hop is notorious for bad boys. It seems like the more mischievous the rapper, the more compelling his rhymes are. Lil Boosie has already proved his devilish behavior is as fascinating as it is entertaining. The 23 year-old Baton Rouge MC is a known problem across the Southern United States. With almost ten years of experience on the mic, Boosie has already proved he can move mass amounts of units independently. With his partner in rhyme and Trill Entertainment label mate Webbie recently topping the national charts, Boosie is set to bring the second wave of Louisiana talent to the mainstream.
Long before he was sharing his life with the thousands of fans who have been following him since he was a teenager; Boosie was just another troublemaker around his neighborhood. Born Torrance Hatch, Boosie grew up with his mom and dad who nicknamed him after the '70s funk legend, Bootsy Collins. Although being raised by both of his parents was a rarity in his neighborhood, Boosie still struggled with dysfunction inside and outside of his home.
"I've been a bad ass my whole life," he says before rattling off a rap sheet of mischievous deeds that starts with slapping a teacher in grade school and ends with beating a massive drug charge. "It's not an ego thing at all, it's my real life," he attests. "I really do get into trouble-I just put it into my music now. When you hear me rap you're gonna be like, this little nigga here is crazy!"
Around the time he was starting high school, Boosie decided to come clean on wax about some of the trouble he was getting into around his way. "I started rapping on tracks when I was like 14 or 15," remembers the young MC. "I was rapping before that but I just didn't let anybody know 'cause I thought I wasn't good enough."
Apparently Boosie's natural skill wasn't an issue. A mutual friend of his and local rapper turned indie-mogul, C-Loc introduced the two and before Boosie knew it, he was recording his homemade raps in a professional studio. Boosie's fresh talent debuted on his solo LP, Youngest of the Camp, which kick started his down South buzz. Next he appeared on C-Loc's fifth album, It's a Gamble that also featured Memphis legends, Three 6 Mafia.
But before Boosie could drop his sophomore album, C-Loc was sentenced to four years in prison. Without the guidance of his rap guardian, Boosie soon followed suit. When he was 17, he got arrested for being in a stolen car. As word spread of his incarceration, Boosie soon found a way out. "I had to make a move and that's when I hooked up with Trill Entertainment," says Boosie. "They got me out of jail."
In 2000, Lil Boosie became the first artist signed to Trill Entertainment, a label formed by the legendary UGK producer Pimp C and C his two Baton Rouge associates, Mel and Turk. Boosie's first album, For My Thugz was released in 2002 and went on to sell over 30,000 copies independently. A year later Boosie teamed up with another Trill artist Webbie to release Ghetto Stories, and the certified underground classic, Gangsta Musik. With the entire Southern market under their influence and record sales that continued the legacy of pioneering Louisiana-based independent giants like No Limit and Cash Money, Trill signed a multimillion dollar distribution deal with Asylum Records in 2004.
With a sizable offering of tracks that touch on a wide variety of topics close to Boosie's heart like his tormented relationship with his father and doing dirt in the streets, Lil Boosie Bad Azz is a versatile collection of songs from an MC with limitless potential. Big name guest stars like Pimp C, Yung Joc, and Webbie will only help solidify his national standing.
Now that his album is guaranteed to be pushed on a national level, Boosie is prepared to wreak havoc outside of his Southern comfort zone. His major label debut, Lil Boosie Bad Azz, is his most well rounded offering yet. "I'm touching everybody on my new album," he says. "These rappers today sell two, three million records and you can't listen to nothing but four songs on their album. That's why the rap game is so messed up right now. My biggest strength as an artist is you can listen to every song from front to back." Spoken like a true BAD ASS. |
