Baby Boy Da Prince Interview

• Artist: Baby Boy Da Prince
• Label: Extreme Ent.
• Be on the lookout for: Across The Water
• Artist Website: Baby Boy Da Prince

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New Orleans rapper Baby Boy Da Prince is about to embark on the next loop of his [thus-far] roller coaster ride of a career.  Dropping on March 20th is his Universal Republic debut album, Across The Water, a project that was started over six years ago.  Pushing the single “The Way I Live,” to his hometown N.O. backyard, lots of convincing and self promotions were needed before radio play finally took hold.  It was then that record labels began to take notice and Baby Boy could finally look to ride out the next turn.  During an interview with DJBooth.net’s DJ ’Z,’ Baby Boy Da Prince talks about his opportunity to work with N.O. Hip-Hop legend, Mannie Fresh, the impact that the New Orleans Saints football team had on their city following Hurricane Katrina, and what makes his music different from any other album set to drop on March 20th, 2007.

DJ Booth:  What’s goin’ on ya’ll, it’s your Boy Z, doin’ it real big on DJBooth.net and on the phone with me, from the N.O., with a brand new album out March the 20th entitled “Across The Water,” please welcome,  Baby Boy Da Prince!  How ya doin’?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Doin Great Z!

DJ Booth:  Thanks for joining me fam! 

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Yeah, what it is man?

DJ Booth:  Baby Boy, everyone is spinnin’ this brand new single of yours “The Way I Live”, but a lot of people don’t know where it came from.  So why don’t you talk about how you came about creating this song? 

Baby Boy Da Prince:  I woke up with a tune, and I went to the studio and just put some words on it.  Then my producer got on it, and it was my chemistry mixed with his chemistry, we’ve been mixin’ it ever since.  We were workin’ this record for the last six years, and you know?  I finally got radio play, and the radio play was getting so crazy.  So people started callin’ me to sign me, because they knew I had a hot single…

DJ Booth:  But you needed to show them more…

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Yeah—I needed to show them more, so what happened was, I recorded the rest of my album, and I came up with another song that ended up as my second single.  It’s a new hit called ‘Naw Mean’ featuring and produced by Mannie Fresh.
DJ Booth:  …We are going to get to that one! Okay, we’ll get to that…

Baby Boy Da Prince:  [Laughing]

DJ Booth:  Baby Boy, explain the impact down in New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina, that you had… knowing that you were working at this rap career for some time, and that you were able to help out by showing everybody that you simply have to put your best foot forward no matter what to achieve your dreams?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Right-right, I didn’t let the Katrina thing get a hold of me.  I just kept goin’ forward with the situation, I capitalized myself off of the situation. There’s a lot of crime goin’ on in the city, and I just put that behind me, and just did my thang.

DJ Booth:  Baby Boy,  growing up in the N. O,.  What artists did you listen to from that region that you idolized?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Mystical!!!

DJ Booth:  Mystical, why Mystical?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Mystical—his music is so different.  He has all different types of sound, not just a southern type sound.

DJ Booth:  When he gets released from prison are the two of you going to hook up?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Oh, hell yeah! C’mon now.

DJ Booth:  There is a track on your new album “Across The Water,”  called, “They Don’t Know.”  Tell us something that people don’t know about you.  Tell us what people should find compelling? 

Baby Boy Da Prince:  You know there’s just a whole other side of me.  You know?  You got people—you got dudes out here tryin’ to be to hard and scared to show their sentimental side; but for me, I really don’t care about it.  I know who I am.  I know what I’ve been through—

DJ Booth:  So-you-are-what-you-are-take-it-or-leave-it.  Baby Boy why should people go out, on March 20th, and buy this album?  Why should DJ’s be spinning your singles?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Because you know it’s new music.  I’m inspired by people who make new music.  This is different.  All different music.  I’m just bringin’ a whole different flavor to the game.
DJ Booth:  But how is that different from anybody else droppin’ an album on March 20th would be doing?  How are you unique?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Because everything you hear from me is a whole different subject, on a whole different level! 

DJ Booth:  Okay, now moving to a topic I made you stop talking about earlier… it’s the new single “Naw Mean” with Mannie Fresh. What was it like to work with a man who helped put the N.O. on the Hip Hop map? 

Baby Boy Da Prince:  It was a blessing. It was truly a blessing.  Workin’ with Mannie, it was like a dream come true.  Getting’ a beat from him and makin’ chemistry and makin’ it official.

DJ Booth:  Baby Boy, you remixed your single “The Way I Live”.  In support of the playoff run made by your team, the N.O. Saints.  What type of impact did that team have this past season on the city of New Orleans?

Baby Boy Da Prince:  Aw man, that was really crazy!

DJ Booth:  It was crazy.  I’ll admit, I liked the remix, and that’s coming from a huge Chicago Bears fan, and we happened to beat you guys… [laughing]
 
Baby Boy Da Prince: [laughing] Ah—I think I need to hang up the phone on this interview…

DJ Booth:  You wouldn’t do that… so explain to me what type of impact did the team have on your city this season?

Baby Boy Da Prince: That could have been the best thing to happen to us, because we never before had a good team.  I’m not gonna say we never had a good team, but we never went that far.  You know how far we went.  We kept goin’ further, and further, and further, you know man.  I knew I had to do somethin’ for this city as the Saints were doin’ somethin’.  We didn’t have any crime every time the Saints had a game.  My song was already hot, and after I remixed it for the Saints, people who don’t normally listen to rap listened to it.

DJ Booth:  So you’re thinking maybe it would have been different if the game was held in the Super Dome and not in Chicago?

Baby Boy Da Prince:Yeah!  We just were not ready for the cold weather.  But that is not an excuse.  You gave it to us this year, but next year, different story.

DJ Booth:  As far as a prediction, are the Saints going to make the Super Bowl next year? 

Baby Boy Da Prince: Aw yeah, we makin’ it big.  And we takin’ it home, even if we gotta play you guys [the Bears] again.

DJ Booth:  Baby Boy, why don’t you give your fans information on your website or Myspace address, so they can find out more about you.

Baby Boy Da Prince: Yo-yo-yo Baby Boy DaPrince—you can find me on www.myspace.com/babyboy and you can get my ringtone by texting BB1 to 66555 Let’s git it.
   
DJ Booth:  Beautiful, hey I wish you nothing but the best of luck with this brand new album, “Across The Water,” dropping on March the 20th.  Good luck to your city, your team, and good luck to your career, do it real big.  Make me proud!

Baby Boy Da Prince: Yes Sir, Z!