Slim Thug: The Boss Amongst Bosses

Everybody’s a hustler. You hear it in your favorite rapper’s rhymes. Their rags to riches story is interwoven with some tale of a late night creep or otherwise gives, you, the listener, a glimpse into their life as they tell it. We-The-Voices.com sits down and talks with the Boss – Slim Thug about his grind as a hustler.

We The Voices: How did you get your start?

Slim Thug: Freestyling; Rippin’ it at the little teenage club with the DJ’s. Then I hopped up into the mixtape game. That shit was quick. It just took off and did the numbers. It was selling all over. I kept doin’ it all over Texas. Then down the road I linked up with Swisha House.

WTV: You were considerably successful in the Underground before you signed with The Neptunes’ – Star Trak label. What was your career like at that time?

ST: Before… back in Texas – being independent was good. You could make money by the pounds. Straight hand over fist. I would price CDs at $8 and just sell out wherever I went. The company I had started was just limited to its region just by being in Texas. Ya know, after being signed, it took me to another level. It was bred from just being tired of travelin’ the same spots. Videos, marketing, all that mainstream shit – just keeps it going.

WTV: Now that you got some mainstream appeal to yourself with “Like A Boss,” and “Three Kings,” – can you describe the way the streets are talking about Slim Thug?

ST: The streets give me a good response. It was in November when the bootleg [of the album] leaked out and that shit made me hot. But… after awhile, I saw how it just fed into the hype, like a promotional tool. It reached out to a lot more places than anything I could do independently.

WTV: Getting clout and credential by working with Swisha House and now Star Trak – what are some things you’ve learned that have benefited your career to date?

ST: Just the grind. Being independent means you gotta hustle. You gotta do this, gotta do that in order to eat at the end of the day. Now, with a major you got a lot of cats helping you out. But when it’s all said and done, you gotta stay on the grind.

WTV: What sets you apart from rappers right now whom may have a similar story to share?

ST: I did that shit before. I made a shit-load of money before this mainstream shit. A lot of niggas use they imagination – I try not to get too far out of character. If I did, you know a lot of people would start looking at me like I was fake or a liar or some shit like that. They create this image that was bigger than what they came into the game being and that is some shit I hate. A rapper with an image problem.

WTV: What was the hardest challenge you’ve ever faced?

ST: Shit, man!!! I NEVER think of a challenge, man. I don’t look at shit as being hard. I just focus on the positive. I don’t give a fuck about a challenge. But right now, man, being successful with this record and keeping the streets happy is my only concern, man.

WTV: Are there any perks to being a “mainstream” artist?

ST: You get to do what you love to do. I get to hear niggas come out to these shows and shit and say that they like my shit. Most people came out to the [Snoop Dogg] show and are looking out for you even before you hit the ma’fuckin’ stage.

WTV: Any advice for those who may be trying to do what you’re doing right now?

ST: Gotta make sure you have the right music. They [producers] try to be on some next level shit, but niggas who rap need to step up they material. Maintain a certain image – make sure that the rap that you spit goes with that image. Focus on the material, so you can stand above those who are already out doing it big. Represent where you from – no one needs a Jadakiss Pt. II.