Akeem Lawal, a.k.a AK the Razorman has been grinding his way through the hip-hop industry for years. Infatuated with hip-hop at the tender age of 8, AK was always a student of the art. Despite residing in the South, his musical tastes spread all over the nation as his first inspirations were Run-DMC.
His first official entry into hip-hop was with partner and Atlanta hip-hop staple MacBoney, when they performed talent sows together and the two young teenagers did whatever they could to hustle for studio time. At age 16, AK would meet with meet a hustler/rapper named T.I.
The two clicked, and the relationship led to what would be the forming of one of the most dominant hip hop forces from the South, P.$.C.
As T.I grew in popularity so did the crew, as they released their major label debut 25 to Life. AK took advantage of every opportunity presented to him and made himself a problem in the game. With extremely successful independent releases both on his own and with partner in rhyme MacBoney, as well as features on major projects such as the Hustle and Flow soundtrack, AK’s stock is rising and shows no signs of plummeting.
Sixshot.Com sat down with the P.$.C soldier to discuss T.I.’s problems with the law, his upcoming projects, and why loyalty is so important in this business.
What’s good AK?
Wazhatnin mane?
I heard you started spittin’ at a real young age. How young were you?
I started free styling at the age of 8 trying to be like Run-DMC.
How did you and MacBoney get up?
I met MacBoney in 5th grade in elementary school. We were in the same homeroom. We decided to be in the 5th grade talent show that the school set up and ever since then we been a team.
When did you guys decide that rapping would be your job?
I got serious about becoming a rap artist around the age of 15-16.When I got my first job I paid for studio time after I hooked up this 1978 Nova. MacBoney was a brilliant free style artist but he couldn’t write it down at the time so I wrote his verses until he caught on and whipped up his own flavor.
As such a young cat trying to get on, how did you used to try and get some shine?
I used to call the radio station (v-103) and audition for showcases trying to win free studio time.
When did you meet T.I?
I met T.I.P. at MacBoney's cousins house on Cambelton Road., which was considered the trap. He was 14 and I was 16 at the time. I seen him writing a verse so I asked him does he rap and he replied yes. We swapped verses and respected each other’s style and formula. He seen I was grinding and asked to be part of my show at the showcase. After I seen his performance I knew then he was a star! We decided 2 become a team after T.I.P took us to N.Y.C. where he had a production deal in Brooklyn.
The P.$.C. was created in 1997. We started off as a trap-gang runnin' trains on sluts and sellin' what made fast money. The original members were Cap, KT, Inday, Bankhead, Juru, C-Rod, Big Kuntry, and the almighty AK and MacBoney.
Did you guys really bring the first ever mixtape to the South?
After T.I.P. got the deal with Arista in 1999, the I'm Serious album got released in 2001.It wasn’t promoted right so we decided to release a compilation but called it a mixtape instead. At the time no one in the South knew what a mixtape was so we brought something new to the streets and it instantly became a classic! We didn’t know how big the mixtape would become but we knew it would increase Tip’s chances of becoming an official rap star and get his music heard as well as ours without waiting on Arista. We knew if T.I.P. made it then we was next, so we used our street smarts and wits to market ourselves.
How did you joint forces with DJ Drama?
Jason Geeter, who is the Co-CEO of Grand Hustle was very good friends with Tyrese better known as DJ Drama. Drama had a vision and Jason liked it. Drama got down with us officially in 2003.
You were on the Hustle and Flow soundtrack , what was that experience like?
Being on Hustle and Flow was smooth sailing. At the time, the window of opportunity was wide the fuck open so we was living the dream getting on The Source magazine and XXL and taking trips to New York City, L.A., and Las Vegas. It felt like I finally was doing something with my life and making the history in hip-hop that was honorable to my family at home and in the streets.
Were you happy with the response that 25 to Life got?
AK: Once 25 to Life finally hit the stores I thought we would have a better impact than how it turned out. The album was not promoted as you already know to the fullest and record sells suffered. We should have gone platinum or at least gold but I was still feeling fly about myself because we sold 300 thousand anyway!
When did you decide to start dropping your own individual mixtapes?
Since I seen that I have to take it back to the streets and stay grinding I created my own individual independent mixtapes. The first mixtape was Back in the Streets. The second mixtape is Xpand and Conquer, which happened to be the best so far and the entire Grand Hustle family is featured on that.
I funded those out of my own pocket and accomplished to sell 18,000 between the both of them.
So what’s poppin’ with all the artists at Grand Hustle right now?
Right now it’s everybody’s time to shine all at once. BIG Kuntry's album, My Turn to Eat, is coming very soon. Young Dro's album Young and the Restless is coming very soon also. AlfaMega who is P.$.C's new extension just got a deal with Capital , so he's Grand Hustle/Capital and he is also working on a new release coming late 2008.
MacBoney is doing his own thing like myself and has a new mixtape out called "RiccoAct". He is also working on an album that’s drilling the streets and is expected to be released in 2008.Our girl group Xtaci is still grinding and waiting patiently to blow!
How is it to be a part of the new movement for Grand Hustle?
We have a new generation of the team with JR.Get Money, Yung L.A., and ATL. With and without my good friend T.I.P., Grand Hustle/P.$.C. is still the best label and click in the South and the world! Matter of fact I'm releasing a new CD that is all original beats by my independent producers DJ Stikubush from Birmingham Alabama, Ced L.Young from Gary Indiana, Luney Tunez "In Yo Area" from Atlanta (who just got a producer deal with Block Entertainment.), and Ribah "On The Beat” from Atlanta.
You have a new underground joint coming up. Tell us about that.
The title of my new underground album is My Face Card. It will be another Grand Hustle ultimate classic!
With T.I going through what he’s going through, is it important that everybody stay loyal to each other in this stressful time?
We are actually a real family so yeah being close keeps the operation rolling without the boss being around. Loyalty is rare in this business but since we started off hustle partners and personal friends that went through ups and downs before we got money in music, it seems like second nature to deal with bullshit together. Only weak ass hoe niggas break-up, real niggas stick together, and real can only recognize real.
So where can the fans check for you man and what projects do you have coming out?
Check out my new underground album My Face Card going digital throughout the globe in January of 2008! Fans can check me at www.myspace.com/akrazorman. Keep choppin' it up, gettin' to that money. I respect ya'll hustle Sixshot!
His first official entry into hip-hop was with partner and Atlanta hip-hop staple MacBoney, when they performed talent sows together and the two young teenagers did whatever they could to hustle for studio time. At age 16, AK would meet with meet a hustler/rapper named T.I.
The two clicked, and the relationship led to what would be the forming of one of the most dominant hip hop forces from the South, P.$.C.
As T.I grew in popularity so did the crew, as they released their major label debut 25 to Life. AK took advantage of every opportunity presented to him and made himself a problem in the game. With extremely successful independent releases both on his own and with partner in rhyme MacBoney, as well as features on major projects such as the Hustle and Flow soundtrack, AK’s stock is rising and shows no signs of plummeting.
Sixshot.Com sat down with the P.$.C soldier to discuss T.I.’s problems with the law, his upcoming projects, and why loyalty is so important in this business.
What’s good AK?
Wazhatnin mane?
I heard you started spittin’ at a real young age. How young were you?
I started free styling at the age of 8 trying to be like Run-DMC.
How did you and MacBoney get up?
I met MacBoney in 5th grade in elementary school. We were in the same homeroom. We decided to be in the 5th grade talent show that the school set up and ever since then we been a team.
When did you guys decide that rapping would be your job?
I got serious about becoming a rap artist around the age of 15-16.When I got my first job I paid for studio time after I hooked up this 1978 Nova. MacBoney was a brilliant free style artist but he couldn’t write it down at the time so I wrote his verses until he caught on and whipped up his own flavor.
As such a young cat trying to get on, how did you used to try and get some shine?
I used to call the radio station (v-103) and audition for showcases trying to win free studio time.
When did you meet T.I?
I met T.I.P. at MacBoney's cousins house on Cambelton Road., which was considered the trap. He was 14 and I was 16 at the time. I seen him writing a verse so I asked him does he rap and he replied yes. We swapped verses and respected each other’s style and formula. He seen I was grinding and asked to be part of my show at the showcase. After I seen his performance I knew then he was a star! We decided 2 become a team after T.I.P took us to N.Y.C. where he had a production deal in Brooklyn.
The P.$.C. was created in 1997. We started off as a trap-gang runnin' trains on sluts and sellin' what made fast money. The original members were Cap, KT, Inday, Bankhead, Juru, C-Rod, Big Kuntry, and the almighty AK and MacBoney.
Did you guys really bring the first ever mixtape to the South?
After T.I.P. got the deal with Arista in 1999, the I'm Serious album got released in 2001.It wasn’t promoted right so we decided to release a compilation but called it a mixtape instead. At the time no one in the South knew what a mixtape was so we brought something new to the streets and it instantly became a classic! We didn’t know how big the mixtape would become but we knew it would increase Tip’s chances of becoming an official rap star and get his music heard as well as ours without waiting on Arista. We knew if T.I.P. made it then we was next, so we used our street smarts and wits to market ourselves.
How did you joint forces with DJ Drama?
Jason Geeter, who is the Co-CEO of Grand Hustle was very good friends with Tyrese better known as DJ Drama. Drama had a vision and Jason liked it. Drama got down with us officially in 2003.
You were on the Hustle and Flow soundtrack , what was that experience like?
Being on Hustle and Flow was smooth sailing. At the time, the window of opportunity was wide the fuck open so we was living the dream getting on The Source magazine and XXL and taking trips to New York City, L.A., and Las Vegas. It felt like I finally was doing something with my life and making the history in hip-hop that was honorable to my family at home and in the streets.
Were you happy with the response that 25 to Life got?
AK: Once 25 to Life finally hit the stores I thought we would have a better impact than how it turned out. The album was not promoted as you already know to the fullest and record sells suffered. We should have gone platinum or at least gold but I was still feeling fly about myself because we sold 300 thousand anyway!
When did you decide to start dropping your own individual mixtapes?
Since I seen that I have to take it back to the streets and stay grinding I created my own individual independent mixtapes. The first mixtape was Back in the Streets. The second mixtape is Xpand and Conquer, which happened to be the best so far and the entire Grand Hustle family is featured on that.
I funded those out of my own pocket and accomplished to sell 18,000 between the both of them.
So what’s poppin’ with all the artists at Grand Hustle right now?
Right now it’s everybody’s time to shine all at once. BIG Kuntry's album, My Turn to Eat, is coming very soon. Young Dro's album Young and the Restless is coming very soon also. AlfaMega who is P.$.C's new extension just got a deal with Capital , so he's Grand Hustle/Capital and he is also working on a new release coming late 2008.
MacBoney is doing his own thing like myself and has a new mixtape out called "RiccoAct". He is also working on an album that’s drilling the streets and is expected to be released in 2008.Our girl group Xtaci is still grinding and waiting patiently to blow!
How is it to be a part of the new movement for Grand Hustle?
We have a new generation of the team with JR.Get Money, Yung L.A., and ATL. With and without my good friend T.I.P., Grand Hustle/P.$.C. is still the best label and click in the South and the world! Matter of fact I'm releasing a new CD that is all original beats by my independent producers DJ Stikubush from Birmingham Alabama, Ced L.Young from Gary Indiana, Luney Tunez "In Yo Area" from Atlanta (who just got a producer deal with Block Entertainment.), and Ribah "On The Beat” from Atlanta.
You have a new underground joint coming up. Tell us about that.
The title of my new underground album is My Face Card. It will be another Grand Hustle ultimate classic!
With T.I going through what he’s going through, is it important that everybody stay loyal to each other in this stressful time?
We are actually a real family so yeah being close keeps the operation rolling without the boss being around. Loyalty is rare in this business but since we started off hustle partners and personal friends that went through ups and downs before we got money in music, it seems like second nature to deal with bullshit together. Only weak ass hoe niggas break-up, real niggas stick together, and real can only recognize real.
So where can the fans check for you man and what projects do you have coming out?
Check out my new underground album My Face Card going digital throughout the globe in January of 2008! Fans can check me at www.myspace.com/akrazorman. Keep choppin' it up, gettin' to that money. I respect ya'll hustle Sixshot!
