Pimpin In The Midwest

Interview by Slick Worthington

Original Interview aired on 'The Hip-Hawk Hour' on WXYB 1520 Am/ www.hawkradio.com in Tampa, Fl. Pretty Russ called in on the show just days before his unfortunate passing. I had the pleasure of chatting with him about everything from music to politics and everything in between. We also discussed what it meant to keep it 'THORO'.


What's good Man?
What's shaking? What it do? What's shaking down that way?

The whole city's feeling the momentum of the Tampa Bay Rays right now, so we're all pretty excited!
Fa' sho Fa' sho!

My city got knocked out early this year, but I see y'all down there doing your thing this year! First of all, Introduce yourself. Who is Pretty Russ?
Yeah, Big Russ, I go by the name Pretty Russ! Shout outs to S. T. L. I'm one of the original S. T. L. rappers to put it on the map. You know, representing Thoro Muzik, independent label. You know, you might of heard me back in the day, I did some work with Keith Sweat, on that cut *Twisted*, you know with Kut Close. It went *triple platinum*, the single went *platinum*. So I did that, you know, my first little bit in the industry, and now I'm doing my thing on the independent tip, so that's what it is. I'm here to take over the world, baby!

Aight, definitely! Real quick, how did you get started in this whole Hip-Hop thing?
Hip-Hop? Man I always been a fan of Hip-Hop, but I'll say early on, I started writing, you know. Influenced by cats like, you know, K.R.S. and L.L. , you know guys like that. I just started putting the pen to the pad, you know. Once I graduated high school, I started pursuing it as a career, and one thing led to another and I ended up hooking up with Keith Sweat, moved to Atlanta, and uh' did that. Once I did that, I kind of got a little taste of the industry, and at that point, I kind of learned more about the industry and got more into the business side of it' and then I just kind of took another route as more than just being an artist, and went the independent route , you know, as far as the business side. I started my own label, and that's what I've been doing ever since. It's all about longevity, it's more than just being an artist. I'll tell anybody that, you know, learn about them deals, pick up a book, go to the library, you know what I'm sayin'? Get that knowledge, so you can be around for awhile, 'cause that's what it's about. Don't let them videos fool you man!

Absolutely. Aside from the music, I know your pretty involved. You're an entrepreneur on many levels.
Yeah, Yeah' I got other artists on my label. I got other artists I work with, you know, A guy named Lefty C, a guy named Dre K Guevara. Oh I got a couple of other artists on my label. Also you know, we dippin' and dabblin' in other things, you got to have your hands in all types of pots. You know we got a clothing line we're working on. It's called Thoro Apparel by Russell Todd, you know, which is my first and middle name. Then we're also into films, we're writing screenplays, called Thoro Films. So, it's time to take it to Hollywood! We just trying to get it all, man, you know what I'm saying? Sky's the limit!

There's definitely no time for sleep I imagine!?
Nah, nah man, you gotta stay on the grind, all day. It's the only way it's gonna happen, you know what I'm saying? Can't wait for nobody to put you on, you got to put yourself on, know what I'm saying? So, the independent route, but, you know I'm in it for the long run anyway. So, I ain't just trying to be no 'one- hit wonder', I'm trying to be around for a minute. You know, that's the plan!

Okay. So what can you tell the people out here ( Tampa) about the St. Louis scene, you know that they may not know, or to those people that think it's all about Nelly?
Aww, nah it ain't all about Nelly (Laughs) 'but shouts out to Nelly too! That's my guy, you know, we from the same hood. He from the Lou. We from the same hood, walked the same hallways at the high school, so those are my guys, Murph, Dert, all those guys over there so, you know they doing they thang. You know we got Chingy, Jibbs, there's a couple artists tat came up out of here, you know what I'm saying? But, I'm trying to bring a different light to the Lou, show a whole different side, artistically and musically that you probably ain't even heard yet. You know? So that's what I'm bringing. See I got my own little flavor, what I'm doing, so I think y'all will like it, know what I'm saying? It's something new, something fresh, the game needs that. It's time for a change anyway!

You got time to hang on the line?
Oh most definitely. I'm here baby, I ain't going nowhere!

Alright which track you want to play first?
Let's go ahead and hit em off he top with that single. It's called *Pimpin* In The Midwest*! You know, we just reppin* the Midwest. The South doing their thing continuously. They been holdin' it down for years. The West doing their thing, the East doing their thing, so it's time for the Midwest. We doing our thing too. I just want to pay homage to where I'm from, and represent like that, so *Big Pimpin* in the Midwest*, there it is!

( Cut to Pretty Russ's single- *Pimpin* In The Midwest*) (After break)
 
Live on the line, we got St. Louis's own, Pretty Russ! What's good man? What's shaking, what's shaking baby?
Not much, man. Just keeping it *hip-hop* over here.

I'm feeling the track man! It's definitely got a lot of flavor coming out of *The Lou*.
Appreciate it, man, I appreciate it!

Who did the production on it?
A guy named Bobby Crawford. I been working with him for years actually. He was in a group, which was actually how I met Keith Sweat. Actually , he was in an R & B group, you probably remember called Ol' Skool. They had a hit with Xscape back in the day. They remade the *Am I Dreaming*. He was the producer on that, he's doing the production. He's real fly with them tracks too.

They ( Ol' Skool ) were on one of the big movie soundtracks if I'm not mistaken, right?
Yeah I think they was on one of them soundtracks. They was doing it real big for a hot second back in the day! So that was really my man, you know, my homie he was from the *Lou* too, blessing me with the tracks. So whenever I need him, he just come through for me.

I don't know if you heard the track I played after yours, but it was Kid Money KG. He's in Tampa, but he*' originally from St. Louis.
Yeah, I heard that. I couldn't really hear it on my end, but I'm most definitely gonna have to get a copy of that. I'm gonna have to check that out, I've been hearing about him. I've been hearing a lot of good things about him.

He's a cool cat. He came up with Acafool, down here, the guy of *Hatablockas* fame.
Okay, okay.

He still reps St. Louis to the fullest though.
Yeah, that's wassup, that's hot. I'm glad to see he's still doing his thing. That's love to him. I'm gonna have to check that out. I've heard the name about 3 times, so that's a good thing.

Back to Pretty Russ, you're definitely the focus of our attention today. Where can we go to hear more of your music? Well, right now you can log onto my Myspace site. Go to Pretty Russ I got a couple more joints on there you can check out. So you go on there, I got a couple more exclusive joints on there for you to hear. I change those joints periodically, so I give you snippets of the album. Other than that, you can purchase my last CD which is *Mr. Malloyd*, so if you feeling that, that one's available as well. So, I'm trying to make good music for the public, man.

Besides the album in the works, any touring or shows we can look forward to?
Yeah, most definitely, we gonna get out here on the road. I don't have nothing planned out right now, but uhh, whenever there's a call, you know I'm there! We finishing up the album right now, you know, it'll probably be finished in another month. We gonna put that out and we definitely gonna get out on this road, man. I been down a couple of times before, I'm overdue, I need to get back down there. So, shoot, you want me to come down to , what is it, Indian Rocks Beach? I'm there, baby. ( laughs)

(Laughs) You don't have to go all the way out to the beach. All the action is a little closer to Tampa!
Oh well, Tampa, there it is!

You got the album in the works, hopefully some shows lined up, any notable projects that you want to mention? I know you talked about the clothing line.
Yeah we got that coming. We got another artist we got coming. We also got a compilation, with all the other artists, Thoro Muzik Compilation. It's a compilation that features all the artists we got. So that's the next upcoming project. If you check that site, you'll see everything we got going on, any coming events that we have going on, and all the projects. You can get everything from there. So that's what we doing with it!

I was definitely intrigued, you said you're writing screenplays.
Yeah, man I just got into that. It's always I knew eventually I would get into that, you know, get my *Ice Cube* on, you know because I want to take it that level eventually. And through a blessing I ended up, one of my partners plugged me with someone who was already on the Hollywood scene. She was like an agent for screenwriters, so she gave me the opportunity to go ahead and get started on it. I'm working on a couple screenplays that I got in the works right now, one called *Player Retreat*. We doing it independently on that too, so just remember the name, Thoro Muzik, Thoro Films, Thoro Apparel. Just remember that name, you gonna hear that name a lot !

( laughs). One more thing, do you have any thoughts on the current Presidential race going on right now between Obama and McCain?

The Presidential election, man, It's most definitely a time for change. I won't get too political with it, even though I do, but you know what I'm saying? I just think it's a time for change man. These last couple eight years have been rough. We all agree, gas prices is high, which is ridiculous. It's hard for the middle class and lower class to make a living. It's hard out here, so it's time for a change. I want to tell anybody, make sure you go out and vote. If you haven't it's almost too late to register. But vote, your vote does count. You can sit back and say we need a change but if you don't put in your vote, ain't nothing gonna happen! We gonna see what happens, I'm praying for the best, so we gonna see!

I definitely appreciate you calling in today, do you have anything else you want to add before we cut to another track of yours?
I just want to give a shout out real quick to my whole Thoro Muzik fam, whose been supportive of me, the whole SCN, the whole Saint Lou, the whole Midwest. I gotta give a big up, a big shout out to my girl Liane, at Rapsoulution, man she's been holding me down for years. Straight Love, and I want a send a prayer out, have everybody say a prayer for her moms. she's not doing too good. Make sure y'all say a prayer for her. And most definitely, Slick, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity, taking the time to listen to me and hear what I got to say.
You the first to break this, you know, you're the first deejay to do that! I got much love for you, so if you ever slide through *The Lou*, if you ever in town, I got you! Just give me a call, you ever need anything, it*s whatever, I got you homie! That's real talk, and this is on the radio being recorded so, It's like that !

( laughs) Alright!
So this next cut is called *Fresh Kut*, you know me and a couple Thoro Muzik artists, featuring Lefty C and S-Dot The Scholar. I hope y'all dig it, holla at ya boy! Hit us up on the Myspace page if you like it. If you don't, tell us what we need to work on or whatever. It's all good, keep it 100 with me and I'll keep it 100 with you, it's all good! Much love to the whole Florida, the whole South, man! Pretty Russ, signing off!
It's my pleasure, I appreciate it!

For more information or Music from the late Pretty Russ, check out his Myspace Page: