OS Interview: Curren$y

Curren$y can teach you a thing or two about perseverance. Considered one of the best lyricists to come out of New Orleans, he’s seen his share of false starts. Originally down with the No Limit and Master P’s 504 Boyz, he parted ways with N.O.’s first hip-hop giant and linked up with Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money/Cash Money in 2005. After getting shine on The Carter II and Weezy’s Dedication 2, Curren$y was supposed to be the next round in the Young Money clip. 2006 saw the release of video for “Where The Cash At,” the first single from his debut LP Music 2 Fly 2. The video got played on outlets like BET but then months passed with no album; apparently, his debut was somewhere behind the long-delayed Carter III in the YM release schedule. In December of 2007 The Hot Spitta let his fans know via MySpace that he’d left Young Money/Cash Money to focus his own endeavor, Fly Society. Regrouped and refocused, Curren$y got with OnSmash to talk about Fly Society, streetwear, New Orleans skate culture and bouncing from the house that Baby built.

So exactly what is Fly Society?

Fly Society is a company I started a year ago. [At] first it was gonna be a streetwear brand/clothing line that I was puttin’ together and my homeboy Terry Kennedy (Ice Cream skate team) was helping me to get skate teams involved in the brand. Then we decided we might as well start knockin’ some music out ‘cause I had some homies from the city that get down and they just needed some situations too. I figured with me being “on” that it would be a good thing for me to set up a label. That was when my Cash Money situation was lookin’ prosperous, so I put that together for all my homies from the city so that they would have a ticket, be it through the clothing line or be it through niggas from New Orleans who’re skatin’ ‘cause now I see that they got a lot of kids skatin’ out here. So just to make a way for that and help skatin’ grow in my city. I needed an umbrella to be under to make all them moves. I couldn’t just be me and say “I wanna save the city!” So I came up with my company Fly Society. Now from there I got the Fly Society West that I gave to Terry Kennedy. That’s my man, I set up Fly Society West with him and he put one of his homies— actually his cousin— H.I.T. so we put together a group out there too [called] Fly Society West. Then I come home and do everything from right here. This the founding office! New Orleans right here with me.

Let’s talk about that because I think the last thing people associate New Orleans hip-hop with is streetwear and skateboarding.

Exactly!

So tell me about the role you play in that, were you always a skater and into that culture?

Yeah man from day one! It’s just that being here (N.O.) it’s not that many outlets. There was always a presence but you had to go lookin’ for it. It’s not like places like L.A. When I got to L.A. I‘m amazed that skating is like walking out there and everybody has clothing lines or a boutique out there. And it’s just so big out there. It’s the same thing when I go to New York! That’s why I love those places, those are my two favorite places to go, Atlanta is getting like that too and I don’t want my shit to get lost in the shuffle. Outside of the fact that it’ll benefit me ‘cause I’m into it, that lifestyle will save lives ‘cause its an alternative to what we got out here bruh. Don’t mean to get all outrageous on you but it ain’t shit else here bruh! I was in L.A. for a week and I was in Long Beach and that’s when I recorded Higher Than 30,000 Feet, which I might add I recorded in two days. I was in L.A. for a week just kickin’ it then as soon as I came back I hear “so and so got shot up at his place.” Man, I wasn’t hearin’ these type of stories where I was at [L.A.]. Everybody was doin’ somethin’! “So and so is throwin’ a party, XXL is sponsorin’ this, the clothing line is about to do this, so and so got a new shirt they about to release next week.” Businesses is just poppin’ up. I know I’m not the only person out here who thinks like this and right now its changing and I’m gonna make sure I’m a part of it. I’m gonna make sure that it changes and I’m gonna make sure that there’s an option that there’s an alternative to the shit we’re livin’ in bruh.

I was listening to Feelin’ It 2008 and you say about your music that “you can’t call it gangsta and you can’t call it back pack” tell me about the lane you’re trying to carve out for yourself musically.

When I was coming up listening to the music I was listening to man it was a different era. That shit was music bruh! I listen to music now and I try to put myself back in those shoes of me being a kid comin’ up and listening to it [music thats out now] I wouldn’t have a love for the game if that was the case. As a kid I was listening to Digable Planets, Tribe Called Quest and Camp Lo. Like to me, Camp Lo deserves a million dollars! I don’t have everybody’s attention but I’m getting’ some attention so while I got people lookin’ at me I’m not gonna perpetuate the same shit. Just because I’m new and I know what new artists have to do to win. I think it’s bullshit. I’m not gonna perpetuate the bullshit just to get on. It’s not worth it! ‘Cause that’s gon’ damage the game so with the attention that I do have I wanna show people that are listenin’ to me what I came up on ‘cause the kids that’s listenin’ to me they don’t even know where some of these beats [on Higher Than 30,000 Feet] are comin’ from.

So let’s talk about you doing your thing. You’ve been waiting in the wings for a minute now, how long were you signed to Young Money/Cash Money?

Well I didn’t sign until like the last minute. I actually signed maybe a year or somethin’ [ago], I had just been down. I’m a real nigga. Like even if a contract was never around I would’ve been there that long because if we getting’ money [then] I’m rockin’ regardless. If we’re doin’ what we’re supposed to do then I’m down there, but at he same time, I got a schedule man.

How’d you get down with them in the first place?

I had always known Wayne, like we went to the same schools and shit. I had always known him through passin’ in the city and they had a celebrity basketball game in New Orleans and I went to the game and we chopped it up ‘cause I was signed to No Limit prior to that. So we just chopped it up on some regular rap shit like “what you got going on?” So when I’m runnin’ down what I got going on and [I told him] “I’m really not doing the No Limit thing any more, I’m tryin’ to set up another situation. I got a few deals on the table but I really wanna get some more music done before really go in and try to get offers made.” So I was like we oughta do somethin’ and he was like “well I got my situation you should come roll with this” and I did. It seemed like it was a good idea and I just got on it.

But it didn’t really pan out.
Nah bruh, unfortunately. I gotta go through that so when I finally do get all the way on I got all that stuff for my story. So I look at like its cool. As far as me comin’ up in my city, it’s rough but I ain’t had to go through too much but I figure these are my lumps in the game.

Just paying dues basically . . . What’s your relationship with Wayne and Baby right now? Do you still speak?

Naw, I haven’t seen ‘em so I don’t know what it is. As far as I’m concerned it’s no hard feelings I figure just respect it as niggas getting’ money. They getting’ money and I’m getting’ money too.

Let’s talk about this new tape and what the whole point behind it is.

Higher Than 30,000 Feet is just me tryin’ to rush back to the Life At 30,000 Feet mixtape ‘cause I feel like it’s not getting as much attention as it should have. I want the game to go back to what made me want to be a part of it I want to hear that [type] of music so I’ma just make it myself. Right now I’m on the grind so I can’t pay the producers that were making that type of music so I just have my fun in the mixtape game. I’m goin’ hard and it ain’t even about the money ‘cause I’m pretty sure that’s gonna get me on. They can’t ignore me forever! The perfect situation is gonna come across so where I’ma have control and make the kind of music I wanna make and everything gonna be good after that. There are more of us in the world than we think bruh. I’m just speakin’ as far as good people and music fans. So if it come out it’s gonna be successful. Look at Lupe! If you agree that was a good era think about the people that’re close to that era and all you can see is Kanye, Lupe Pharrell there’s some people makin’ some good music but shit everybody gotta make this a movement. I respect all those dudes grind ‘cause it takes long to get on when you stay true to what you do.

Often the Wayne vs. Curren$y comparison comes up and some say you’re nicer than him, do you agree?

I’ll let the people say that, me all I can so is focus on what I’m doin’. I’ll never say I’m the best or better than anybody I just say I’m really good at what I do. In my lane, I’m a motherfucker and that’s all I’m concerned about. But what the people say and what the general consensus is I can’t argue with that.

So you’re looking’ for that good distribution deal for Fly Society
Yeah man. Just don’t insult me and make it [the sum] handsome. It ain’t gotta be a billion dollars but I need enough to fight the damn war I’m tryin’ to fight. ‘Cause people are fightin’ for good music and I’m tryin to get in the middle of it!

BONUS: Curren$y – Game Recognize Game (OS EXCLUSIVE)