POP Off DVD Magzine Interview
Maserati Rick - The World Is Mine
Words by T. Smalls
On any given day in Atlanta you're likely to run into any number of celebrities. And this day is no different. However, Pop Off is only interested in the one, Maserati Rick (formerly Lil' Cyco of Underground
legend C-Bo's West Coast Mafia). With the South maintaining its stranglehold on the music industry, its not hard to see why the migration of artist from all directions has been so steady. Maserati Rick isn't here because of the South's status in the game however, he's
here to establish a stranglehold of his own.
Our meeting was scheduled for 3:00pm at one of Atlanta's primere hotspots, and after dealing with numerous ego driven artists, I assumed Rick would be at least a half to an hour late. But ever eager to prove
his naysayers wrong, at 2:59pm (no exageration), I see a crimson Maserati with matching rims, followed by a white on white Escalade pulls into the front. This guy emerges from the cockpit of his whip (on his phone) like an astronaut from a space shuttle. The doors on the Escalade open and the entourage exits, right off you notice the size of driver, he's got to be close to 7 feet and easily 350. After a couple of minutes Maserati Rick is in the building. With entourage in tow he makes his way through the building and all eyes are on him. We greet each other daps and he introduces me to the crew. He sits down in front of me and gets
straight down to business. "Man I'm hungry as fuck," he says, and he doesn't want to start the interview until he orders. A waitress rushes over clearly eager to see who he is and takes orders, and then its straight to business.
PO: Man you're a hard dude to catch up with these days. I could probably get in touch with Barack Obama easier.
MR: (laughs) Nah, I just kept you out there like that to make you wanna do the interview more. (Everyone laughs). For real though, I appreciate ya'll reachin' out like ya'll did, but I been goin' hard.
PO: I understand dog, glad to finally get a chance to sit with you and chop it up. So what's been good with you?
MR: Man just chillin', grindin', gettin' to the money.
PO: I see you got your ice game right, the grind must be payin' off.
MR: Yeah man I play a lil' bit nothin' major. This is just some light shit. (Smiling as he lifts the jewels and checks out his shines).
PO: Okay whatever you say! So what's with the name change and all that?I thought Lil' Cyco could have been a house hold name by now. (Laughs)
MR: Nah, man that shit never would have gotten me to where I plan on going with Maserati Rick. The change came about because I felt like as far as sales is concerned, it was a better move for me. Just from a
career stand point. Since a nigga really is tryin' to call this a career.
PO: So you basically feel like Maserati Rick is more marketable?
MR: Definitely. I mean if you had a kid who you let listen to 'gangsta rap' and he wanted a Lil' Cyco album or a Maserati Rick album, which one would you instinctively be more likely be willing to pick up.
PO: Maserati Rick, but Lil' Cyco still has a fan based to think about.
MR: And I understand that, but at the end of the day, I can change my name a thousand times, but spittin' that raw hood shit is still there. I'ma stay in that lane.
PO: Did you know that there was another Maserati Rick from Detroit before you changed your name.
MR: Nah, I didn't know until a lil' while after. Actually his son Richard Carter Jr. had hit me up. Shout out to my man Rick Jr. But people don't understand that being from the West Coast, we have our own street legends to look up to and they're mainly gang members from where we're from. We don't really hear about a lot of the other street figures from everywhere else. But its all good, from the shit I've learned about him, the nigga was a solid dude.
PO: I see. So what's next for you? And what's goin' on wit' you and C-Bo.
MR: Next for me is my 3rd solo "Sky's The Limit". As far as me and C-Bo, ain't shit ever gonna change between me and Bo. That's my nigga right there. I'd give my life for that nigga. Real talk! No matter what pops wit' us that's always gonna be my big brother.
PO: That's some deep shit. So is it safe to say that you'll be puttin' "Sky's The Limit" out on WCM? Cause you know, I've been hearin' things.
MR: Really I'm not sure what label the album is going to be coming out on, I got some options with this album that I didn't have with the first 2. So whatever feels right is what I'm going with.
PO: I see, the word on the street is that you'll be makin' a major career move in the very near future! There's talk that you've been spotted quite often in the ATL clubs with a certain high profile figure,
who seems to be really interested in signing you to his label.
MR: (A huge smile comes over his face) Is that right? We must NOT be hearin' the same things from the same streets. Fill me in my nigga! (Laughs from everyone)
PO: Yeah, yeah, sure..... You know who and what I'm talkin' about! What's the story.....
MR: Like I said, I have options with this album that I didn't have with the first 2. That's pretty much all I can say.
PO: So there's NO truth to the rumors that you've been seen quite frequently with Floyd 'Money' Mayweather, and are about to sign with his label, Philthy Rich Records. We know you guys are cool, what's the deal.
MR: (Smiles) Damn, the streets really do talk. (Laughs)
I can't really say what the deal is exactly. We've talked about it a few times and that's pretty much it. That's my nigga and he needs somebody over there
at Philthy Rich that can stand on his own two feet as an artist without him having to hold their hand. He understands that, and that's what he's looking for.
PO: Right, and that's you? Come on keep it 100 wit' me.
MR: I mean, Philthy Rich is definitely an option, and I don't see how that could be a losing situation. But Floyd's a busy dude so we just gotta sit and have a real meeting to figure out what's what.
Our food arrives and we take a break to eat. After smashin' our food we get back to business.
PO: So what's C-Bo's feelings about you possibly going to Philthy Rich Records.
MR: Man, I got Bo's blessings in whatever I do. When I first got wit' Bo he told me, if a bigger and/or better opportunity comes along, then definitely I should entertain the idea. He knows West Coast Mafia will
always be my family. No matter what. You see the tattoo, (shows me the tattoo on his left inside forearm), that shit is for good right there. We’re more than just labelmates. We grew up in the same neighborhood so we tied together. What kinda real homie or boss would he be try and stop me from movin' forward. My nigga is a real ass nigga, period. And he wanna see his lil' homie get it. And believe me, if I get it he get it.
PO: So let me just ask you, flat out, no sugar coating. Are you signing to Philthy Rich Records.
MR: In my heart I'm about 90% over there. Real talk, I'm just waitin' for Floyd to finish up wit' Wrestlemania and a few of the other things that he has going on and then I think it'll all be finalized. I'm
hoping, but I'm not going to jump the gun on nothin' because there's still a lot to be said and done from both sides. But I can tell you that I have been recording from a Philthy Rich state of mind. And the shit is fire. Matter of fact lets hit the studio so you can hear some of this shit. Rick pays for the food and heads for the door, and once again as he makes his way through the people all eyes are on him. Just before he
reaches the door a group of 4 or 5 women stop him and ask him to pose for a picture. He agrees and they take a few, with each woman alternating their position to pose with him. He give hugs and the huge driver of the Escalade leads the way to the Maserati.
MR: I'll never get tired of shit like that. I love when people approach me, especially the ladies. We hop in the Maserati and jump into the ATL streets. Now we're in a lil' bit of traffic, but from the passenger seat of this thing it feels like we're going a lot faster than we are.
PO: Damn dog, how fast does this thing go?
MR: Shit, it got 200 on the dash, but the dealership told me it'll only do like 192 or some shit like that. The fastest I got it up to is like, 130 or 140.
He's weaving through traffic like he got the okay from the state of Georgia to speed. The music in the backgroud is something new from C-Bo and Young Buck. The track is hot and it sounds like C-Bo is getting
back to his old self.
PO: So what did you think about C-Bo linking up with Young Buck after all of the G-Unit dissing from him and Yukmouth?
MR: Man I think a nigga gone do what he gonna do. No matter what the next man think. I never got into all that dissin' shit cause personally that aint me, and at the end of the day this shit is all entertainment. If it was some real shit it wouldn't have even been on no records. But businesswise, that was big for Bo and West Coast Mafia. We got a line into the game that's bigger than it was before we started fuckin' wit' Buck. On top of that, all of that shit was bein' said about niggas that we didn't even know. And I can tell you from dealin' wit' the nigga that Buck is a real dude. I fuck wit' him.
PO: So is Young Buck going to be on "Sky's The Limit"?
MR: I'ma work on that, but it would definitely be a good look. We finally arrive at an unassuming unmarked building in one of Atlanta's many industrial business parks. In the midst of all the high speed traffic weaving we lost the Escalade so we sit in front of the building and wait. Rick gets on his phone and makes a call.
MR: Where ya'll at? (Pause) Aight I'm already here. Hurry up!
Hangs up, turns up the volume on the music and hops out of the car leaving the car door open. After about 5 minutes of waiting the Escalade comes arond the corner.
The atmosphere at In House Studio is upbeat and energetic as soon as we walk in. The female receptionist is happy to see her boss and greets him
with a smile and a hug. Its clear from the moment we're in that In House Studio belongs solely to Maserati Rick. And its easy to see that he appreciates the fact that he can be the owner of a place that he's
comfortable being. As we walk throught the hallway toward a door marked, "I BUILT THIS SHIT - Maserati Rick".
The In House engineer (a surprisingly pretty female) is already in Studio A, where she's been waiting for Rick all day. And she doesn't hesitate to jokingly give him a hard time about it. It's becoming more and more evident that Maserati Rick really enjoys the company of beautiful women.
MR: Yeah, yeah, yeah, play my music.
He jokes back with her. And almost before he can finish his sentence, the baseline and drums are loudly coming out of the studio monitors. The beat is sick, and the lyrics go right along with it. Rick's looking at
me directly in the eyes matching my head knods, bob for bob. And just before the hook comes in, he screams over the beat, 'here comes the surprise'. All of a sudden the beat drops, and in comes the unmistakable voice of Roc A Fella's own Freeway, and he's spittin'. Bar for bar Rick and Free make this song an instant banger. The he stops the song a and says to no one in particular,
MR:'What the fuck niggas thought, I ain't been workin?'
PO: So who else have you been working with on this album?
MR: That's confidential. But I can tell you that as far as California and the West Coast are concerned song for song, bar for bar, my album will be the hardest. NOBODY excluded!!
PO: Wow, that's a bold statement. Cause a lot of cats from the West Coast have albums coming out.
MR: And?! What that mean? And name one artist that's got the potential to make a complete album. From the Bay to LA, there ain't nobody that can execute and record a complete album. And believe me when I say this
my dude, I don't have a problem with anybody in the rap game, I just think niggas settle for a couple cool, not even hot songs and throw an album out there cuz a song or two create a buzz around their name.
PO: So you're not aiming that comment and anyone in general.
MR: Nah man, I fuck wit' everybody and I listen to everybody from Coast to Coast so I know what I'm hearin'. To be perfectly honest I feel like niggas is reachin' with all of this bullshit they're puttin' out just to get on the radio. Fuck the radio, I want the streets.
PO: Yeah, I can agree with you on that! So how do feel like you're going to be able to get that nation-wide push if you don't get on the radio.
MR: Don't get me wrong homie, I'm not sayin' I wouldn't like to hear my shit on the radio..... I'm just not going into the studio listening to beats and thinkin' 'that's going to get me on the radio'. If you hear my
shit on the radio its going to be because it was a hot ass song that some program director recognized and couldn’t ignore, not because I made it for them
specifically.
No sooner that he finished what he was saying, the engineer has another song bumpin'. The beat is a slower tempo with heavy bass. I'm not sure if she took what we were saying and understood what was going on, but
this song definitely has the potential to smash radio. This song (in my opinion) is even hotter than the Freeway featured joint. As soon as it goes off I have
to ask.
PO: So you don't think that's a radio friendly song?
MR: Everybody else thinks so, she thinks so, (pointing at the engineer) but me, I just think I'm doin' me and if the radio fuck wit it then so be it. But if not fuck it, the street will still fuck wit’ it. That's the niggas I do it for anyway and them niggas ain't listening to the fuckin' radio.
MR: I'ma give you one more song and then I'm going to work. So we'll have to wrap the interview up.
He moves the engineer out of the way and sits down at the huge mixing console. He fiddles with the computer mouse for a moment, he finds the Protools session for a song titled 'Rock 'n Roll'. He presses play on the board and a crazy guitar rift gets the song going. The title is definitely fitting and surprisingly, once the lyrics come in, the flow almost makes you forget about the rock 'n roll track that's backing it up. My head is nodding back and forth once again and I'm not even
noticing it. When the song goes off he stands up and asks me genuinely what I think.
PO: Honest answer?
MR: Yeah dog, honest answer. You won’t hurt my feeling. (Laughs)
PO: If those were just 3 songs that you decided to let me hear and the rest of the material is half as good, I can't wait to buy the the album.
MR: in that case cop 2. (Laughs)
As we head out the door of the studio Rick asks me what I'm doing tonight and I tell him nothing much as far as I know. He tells me to hit him up at Midnight and we'll hit club Dream ATL. He has his driver take me back to my car, but before I get into he truck I have to ask.
PO: What's your biggest moment since you've been in the music industry.
MR: NBA Draft nighy at the 40/40 Club with LeBron, talkin' shit back and forth wit' Jay-Z. Just enjoying being able to do shit like that is a big deal to me, cause without this music shit, I wouldn't be able to experience half of the shit I've accomplished.
PO: Any last words.
MR: Shout to West Coast Mafia, Philthy Rich Records and all the niggas that fuck wit’ me I fuck wit you too.
He heads back toward the studio and says,
“Hit me at 12 and we’ll hit the club and I show you how I really fuck wit it.”
Maserati Rick – Sky’s The Limit will hit stores later this year.
Maserati Rick - The World Is Mine
Words by T. Smalls
On any given day in Atlanta you're likely to run into any number of celebrities. And this day is no different. However, Pop Off is only interested in the one, Maserati Rick (formerly Lil' Cyco of Underground
legend C-Bo's West Coast Mafia). With the South maintaining its stranglehold on the music industry, its not hard to see why the migration of artist from all directions has been so steady. Maserati Rick isn't here because of the South's status in the game however, he's
here to establish a stranglehold of his own.
Our meeting was scheduled for 3:00pm at one of Atlanta's primere hotspots, and after dealing with numerous ego driven artists, I assumed Rick would be at least a half to an hour late. But ever eager to prove
his naysayers wrong, at 2:59pm (no exageration), I see a crimson Maserati with matching rims, followed by a white on white Escalade pulls into the front. This guy emerges from the cockpit of his whip (on his phone) like an astronaut from a space shuttle. The doors on the Escalade open and the entourage exits, right off you notice the size of driver, he's got to be close to 7 feet and easily 350. After a couple of minutes Maserati Rick is in the building. With entourage in tow he makes his way through the building and all eyes are on him. We greet each other daps and he introduces me to the crew. He sits down in front of me and gets
straight down to business. "Man I'm hungry as fuck," he says, and he doesn't want to start the interview until he orders. A waitress rushes over clearly eager to see who he is and takes orders, and then its straight to business.
PO: Man you're a hard dude to catch up with these days. I could probably get in touch with Barack Obama easier.
MR: (laughs) Nah, I just kept you out there like that to make you wanna do the interview more. (Everyone laughs). For real though, I appreciate ya'll reachin' out like ya'll did, but I been goin' hard.
PO: I understand dog, glad to finally get a chance to sit with you and chop it up. So what's been good with you?
MR: Man just chillin', grindin', gettin' to the money.
PO: I see you got your ice game right, the grind must be payin' off.
MR: Yeah man I play a lil' bit nothin' major. This is just some light shit. (Smiling as he lifts the jewels and checks out his shines).
PO: Okay whatever you say! So what's with the name change and all that?I thought Lil' Cyco could have been a house hold name by now. (Laughs)
MR: Nah, man that shit never would have gotten me to where I plan on going with Maserati Rick. The change came about because I felt like as far as sales is concerned, it was a better move for me. Just from a
career stand point. Since a nigga really is tryin' to call this a career.
PO: So you basically feel like Maserati Rick is more marketable?
MR: Definitely. I mean if you had a kid who you let listen to 'gangsta rap' and he wanted a Lil' Cyco album or a Maserati Rick album, which one would you instinctively be more likely be willing to pick up.
PO: Maserati Rick, but Lil' Cyco still has a fan based to think about.
MR: And I understand that, but at the end of the day, I can change my name a thousand times, but spittin' that raw hood shit is still there. I'ma stay in that lane.
PO: Did you know that there was another Maserati Rick from Detroit before you changed your name.
MR: Nah, I didn't know until a lil' while after. Actually his son Richard Carter Jr. had hit me up. Shout out to my man Rick Jr. But people don't understand that being from the West Coast, we have our own street legends to look up to and they're mainly gang members from where we're from. We don't really hear about a lot of the other street figures from everywhere else. But its all good, from the shit I've learned about him, the nigga was a solid dude.
PO: I see. So what's next for you? And what's goin' on wit' you and C-Bo.
MR: Next for me is my 3rd solo "Sky's The Limit". As far as me and C-Bo, ain't shit ever gonna change between me and Bo. That's my nigga right there. I'd give my life for that nigga. Real talk! No matter what pops wit' us that's always gonna be my big brother.
PO: That's some deep shit. So is it safe to say that you'll be puttin' "Sky's The Limit" out on WCM? Cause you know, I've been hearin' things.
MR: Really I'm not sure what label the album is going to be coming out on, I got some options with this album that I didn't have with the first 2. So whatever feels right is what I'm going with.
PO: I see, the word on the street is that you'll be makin' a major career move in the very near future! There's talk that you've been spotted quite often in the ATL clubs with a certain high profile figure,
who seems to be really interested in signing you to his label.
MR: (A huge smile comes over his face) Is that right? We must NOT be hearin' the same things from the same streets. Fill me in my nigga! (Laughs from everyone)
PO: Yeah, yeah, sure..... You know who and what I'm talkin' about! What's the story.....
MR: Like I said, I have options with this album that I didn't have with the first 2. That's pretty much all I can say.
PO: So there's NO truth to the rumors that you've been seen quite frequently with Floyd 'Money' Mayweather, and are about to sign with his label, Philthy Rich Records. We know you guys are cool, what's the deal.
MR: (Smiles) Damn, the streets really do talk. (Laughs)
I can't really say what the deal is exactly. We've talked about it a few times and that's pretty much it. That's my nigga and he needs somebody over there
at Philthy Rich that can stand on his own two feet as an artist without him having to hold their hand. He understands that, and that's what he's looking for.
PO: Right, and that's you? Come on keep it 100 wit' me.
MR: I mean, Philthy Rich is definitely an option, and I don't see how that could be a losing situation. But Floyd's a busy dude so we just gotta sit and have a real meeting to figure out what's what.
Our food arrives and we take a break to eat. After smashin' our food we get back to business.
PO: So what's C-Bo's feelings about you possibly going to Philthy Rich Records.
MR: Man, I got Bo's blessings in whatever I do. When I first got wit' Bo he told me, if a bigger and/or better opportunity comes along, then definitely I should entertain the idea. He knows West Coast Mafia will
always be my family. No matter what. You see the tattoo, (shows me the tattoo on his left inside forearm), that shit is for good right there. We’re more than just labelmates. We grew up in the same neighborhood so we tied together. What kinda real homie or boss would he be try and stop me from movin' forward. My nigga is a real ass nigga, period. And he wanna see his lil' homie get it. And believe me, if I get it he get it.
PO: So let me just ask you, flat out, no sugar coating. Are you signing to Philthy Rich Records.
MR: In my heart I'm about 90% over there. Real talk, I'm just waitin' for Floyd to finish up wit' Wrestlemania and a few of the other things that he has going on and then I think it'll all be finalized. I'm
hoping, but I'm not going to jump the gun on nothin' because there's still a lot to be said and done from both sides. But I can tell you that I have been recording from a Philthy Rich state of mind. And the shit is fire. Matter of fact lets hit the studio so you can hear some of this shit. Rick pays for the food and heads for the door, and once again as he makes his way through the people all eyes are on him. Just before he
reaches the door a group of 4 or 5 women stop him and ask him to pose for a picture. He agrees and they take a few, with each woman alternating their position to pose with him. He give hugs and the huge driver of the Escalade leads the way to the Maserati.
MR: I'll never get tired of shit like that. I love when people approach me, especially the ladies. We hop in the Maserati and jump into the ATL streets. Now we're in a lil' bit of traffic, but from the passenger seat of this thing it feels like we're going a lot faster than we are.
PO: Damn dog, how fast does this thing go?
MR: Shit, it got 200 on the dash, but the dealership told me it'll only do like 192 or some shit like that. The fastest I got it up to is like, 130 or 140.
He's weaving through traffic like he got the okay from the state of Georgia to speed. The music in the backgroud is something new from C-Bo and Young Buck. The track is hot and it sounds like C-Bo is getting
back to his old self.
PO: So what did you think about C-Bo linking up with Young Buck after all of the G-Unit dissing from him and Yukmouth?
MR: Man I think a nigga gone do what he gonna do. No matter what the next man think. I never got into all that dissin' shit cause personally that aint me, and at the end of the day this shit is all entertainment. If it was some real shit it wouldn't have even been on no records. But businesswise, that was big for Bo and West Coast Mafia. We got a line into the game that's bigger than it was before we started fuckin' wit' Buck. On top of that, all of that shit was bein' said about niggas that we didn't even know. And I can tell you from dealin' wit' the nigga that Buck is a real dude. I fuck wit' him.
PO: So is Young Buck going to be on "Sky's The Limit"?
MR: I'ma work on that, but it would definitely be a good look. We finally arrive at an unassuming unmarked building in one of Atlanta's many industrial business parks. In the midst of all the high speed traffic weaving we lost the Escalade so we sit in front of the building and wait. Rick gets on his phone and makes a call.
MR: Where ya'll at? (Pause) Aight I'm already here. Hurry up!
Hangs up, turns up the volume on the music and hops out of the car leaving the car door open. After about 5 minutes of waiting the Escalade comes arond the corner.
The atmosphere at In House Studio is upbeat and energetic as soon as we walk in. The female receptionist is happy to see her boss and greets him
with a smile and a hug. Its clear from the moment we're in that In House Studio belongs solely to Maserati Rick. And its easy to see that he appreciates the fact that he can be the owner of a place that he's
comfortable being. As we walk throught the hallway toward a door marked, "I BUILT THIS SHIT - Maserati Rick".
The In House engineer (a surprisingly pretty female) is already in Studio A, where she's been waiting for Rick all day. And she doesn't hesitate to jokingly give him a hard time about it. It's becoming more and more evident that Maserati Rick really enjoys the company of beautiful women.
MR: Yeah, yeah, yeah, play my music.
He jokes back with her. And almost before he can finish his sentence, the baseline and drums are loudly coming out of the studio monitors. The beat is sick, and the lyrics go right along with it. Rick's looking at
me directly in the eyes matching my head knods, bob for bob. And just before the hook comes in, he screams over the beat, 'here comes the surprise'. All of a sudden the beat drops, and in comes the unmistakable voice of Roc A Fella's own Freeway, and he's spittin'. Bar for bar Rick and Free make this song an instant banger. The he stops the song a and says to no one in particular,
MR:'What the fuck niggas thought, I ain't been workin?'
PO: So who else have you been working with on this album?
MR: That's confidential. But I can tell you that as far as California and the West Coast are concerned song for song, bar for bar, my album will be the hardest. NOBODY excluded!!
PO: Wow, that's a bold statement. Cause a lot of cats from the West Coast have albums coming out.
MR: And?! What that mean? And name one artist that's got the potential to make a complete album. From the Bay to LA, there ain't nobody that can execute and record a complete album. And believe me when I say this
my dude, I don't have a problem with anybody in the rap game, I just think niggas settle for a couple cool, not even hot songs and throw an album out there cuz a song or two create a buzz around their name.
PO: So you're not aiming that comment and anyone in general.
MR: Nah man, I fuck wit' everybody and I listen to everybody from Coast to Coast so I know what I'm hearin'. To be perfectly honest I feel like niggas is reachin' with all of this bullshit they're puttin' out just to get on the radio. Fuck the radio, I want the streets.
PO: Yeah, I can agree with you on that! So how do feel like you're going to be able to get that nation-wide push if you don't get on the radio.
MR: Don't get me wrong homie, I'm not sayin' I wouldn't like to hear my shit on the radio..... I'm just not going into the studio listening to beats and thinkin' 'that's going to get me on the radio'. If you hear my
shit on the radio its going to be because it was a hot ass song that some program director recognized and couldn’t ignore, not because I made it for them
specifically.
No sooner that he finished what he was saying, the engineer has another song bumpin'. The beat is a slower tempo with heavy bass. I'm not sure if she took what we were saying and understood what was going on, but
this song definitely has the potential to smash radio. This song (in my opinion) is even hotter than the Freeway featured joint. As soon as it goes off I have
to ask.
PO: So you don't think that's a radio friendly song?
MR: Everybody else thinks so, she thinks so, (pointing at the engineer) but me, I just think I'm doin' me and if the radio fuck wit it then so be it. But if not fuck it, the street will still fuck wit’ it. That's the niggas I do it for anyway and them niggas ain't listening to the fuckin' radio.
MR: I'ma give you one more song and then I'm going to work. So we'll have to wrap the interview up.
He moves the engineer out of the way and sits down at the huge mixing console. He fiddles with the computer mouse for a moment, he finds the Protools session for a song titled 'Rock 'n Roll'. He presses play on the board and a crazy guitar rift gets the song going. The title is definitely fitting and surprisingly, once the lyrics come in, the flow almost makes you forget about the rock 'n roll track that's backing it up. My head is nodding back and forth once again and I'm not even
noticing it. When the song goes off he stands up and asks me genuinely what I think.
PO: Honest answer?
MR: Yeah dog, honest answer. You won’t hurt my feeling. (Laughs)
PO: If those were just 3 songs that you decided to let me hear and the rest of the material is half as good, I can't wait to buy the the album.
MR: in that case cop 2. (Laughs)
As we head out the door of the studio Rick asks me what I'm doing tonight and I tell him nothing much as far as I know. He tells me to hit him up at Midnight and we'll hit club Dream ATL. He has his driver take me back to my car, but before I get into he truck I have to ask.
PO: What's your biggest moment since you've been in the music industry.
MR: NBA Draft nighy at the 40/40 Club with LeBron, talkin' shit back and forth wit' Jay-Z. Just enjoying being able to do shit like that is a big deal to me, cause without this music shit, I wouldn't be able to experience half of the shit I've accomplished.
PO: Any last words.
MR: Shout to West Coast Mafia, Philthy Rich Records and all the niggas that fuck wit’ me I fuck wit you too.
He heads back toward the studio and says,
“Hit me at 12 and we’ll hit the club and I show you how I really fuck wit it.”
Maserati Rick – Sky’s The Limit will hit stores later this year.
