ChiBangin.com - The Official Chicago Rap Site Payroll Interview

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(*) Indicates credit to each member's question

Q: How does “Broke, Starvin' & Gangbangin” compare to all your other work? (*wardedout)

A: I think personally "Broke Starvin & Gangbangin" is my best work I've ever done. If I didn't know me, I would be like “damn this nigga is the truth”. Right now, I'm bringin' the element of emotion back into the game. Niggas make shit all about yo chain, yo whip and yo rims. You ain't hear none of that on this album. It's all personal, it's my mother, it's me, the mob and the music. See here goes something with this mixtape shit, I'm not gon' label it mixtape ‘cause I don't rap over nobody elses beats. All these beats are all original. It's like an album that niggas didn't want, that The Legion didn't want. This is honestly my first album. All the rest of that shit from before has been shit pieced together. I really stacked out and put "Broke, Starvin' & Gangbangin" together. The album is so perfect. I'm so proud.

Q: ”Broke Starvin & Gang Bangin” was originally your nationwide album title. What made you switch it to “Money Mack & Murder” and do you see people having any issues with the title's name? (*O_o)

A: Nah that's my whole aura man. I think the title "Money Mack & Murder" is kinda watered down. "Broke Starvin & Gangbangin", I love that title. "Money Mack & Murder", it's alright, it sums up the feel. See "Broke Starvin & Gangbangin" I wanted to keep it more neighborhood, like more gutter Chicago gangbangin shit. You gotta hear the first song, the title song. It describes my whole life with the gangs and penitentiaries and all that. Really to be actually telling the truth man, The Legion…these are songs that I submitted to the label and they turned them down, they didn't want ‘em. So when I gathered all the things they turned down, it just sounded like a more "Broke Starvin & Gangbangin" feel rather than "Money Mack & Murder". The "Money Mack & Murder," I didn't get to really let my hair down like I wanted to. I'm like 8 songs into "Money Mack & Murder," but like I said I'm turnin' in songs and the label not acceptin' them. It's the label's call, I don't know what they up to.

Q: What are you doing to make sure your album will not end up like most typical Chicago rappers albums and do poorly in sales and what not? (*O_o)

A: I'm in the streets man. I got a street team out here. I got crews, North, West and Southside, just finna beat the streets down. I got my man Cool Raul, he's gonna work the business side of things as far as gettin' it out to other states and shit like that. You know, my business has never been the swiftest in the mothafuckin' world. It's been kinda bad. I'm just hopin' for more recognition man on this album. Personally I did everything, albums covers, everything. I sat down you know what I'm sayin'. Before, I had a lot of niggas involved in projects. A lot of shit you heard before, it's like I wasn't fuckin' with it, but I was doin' what my crew wanted me to do. This shit is all me, this is the album that I put together, so I'm all involved in it.

Q: What do you think kept Belo CD from selling big? (*FrumDay1)

A: Man, man, man. I don't understand why it didn't do as well as people expected. I have not the first clue man. I don't know if it was marketing, I don't know what it was.

Q: Certain DJ's such as Mike Love have said Chicago radio doesn't play as much Chicago artists because they don't have their business right. Do you feel this is true or do Chicago artists not get radio play for other reasons? (*ktownpop187)

A: That's a good question right there. I don't know exactly what is goin' on with these DJ's. I got love for Mike Love, Chi Blizz and them. I don't get love from the DJ's because I think I keep it too gutter. I'm not a club song maker, I don't do songs for the clubs. In order to get to these DJ's, you gotta give them somethin' niggas want to hear in the club. Our music you basically wanna play when you wanna wax somebody out or go fight, some shit like that.

Q: Why do you call out 40 Gang instead of 40 Thievz now? (*FrumDay1)

A: There is no more 40 Thievz, that's over and done. That chapter is sewed up. I was down there in the 40's when the buildings were up. That was my stompin' grounds. I wanted to keep the whole 40 aspect still alive. See when we were for 40 Thievz, Cap use to holla the 40 Boyz and I would holla 40 Gang and we kinda separated ourselves. Cap chose to move on with the Gwok Boyz or whateva and I'm still keepin' 40 Gang. I'm doin' my Legion thang, but 40 Gang is still my crew. I gotta rep my crew.

Q: Is The Legion Records your home or can you be bought? (meanmug)

A: As of now, The Legion is my home until further notice. As far as availability goes for features for songs, I'm open for that. As far as going to another label nah, The Legion is my home.

Q: What was it like recording ‘PitchForks, Crowns & Fins' with WhiteFolks? (KA$PER6)

A: Aw everytime me and the nigga get together it's magic. He always got some type of gangbangin' aspect to come off on and I'm perfect for the job. The 'Str8n Up Yo Hat' was the same feel, everytime we together it's magic joe.

Q: When are you getting in the studio to record? (*JAEPILLA)

A: That's the thing right there. I'm doin' it all on my own man. I ain't gettin' no help from the label. Payroll is grindin' on his own. I got a partner that I linked up wit and a few of my guys is comin' home from the penitentiary, niggas I started this dream with. I'm over here wit a nigga named Nickol Slick and we workin'. I got a real mixtape that's finna drop called Beast Mode. I finally got a studio, I been tryin' to find a studio where I can be comfortable at for a minute. As far as recordin' I just got in the grind mode, but I'm over here with Nickol Slick. I have no idea what the label's doing as far as studios, recordin' and all that. As far as I know, all the artists on The Legion they got they own spots that they record in. We don't have a base of operations as of right now.

Q: Have you ever thought about getting your tear drop removed? (*meanmug)

A: Never, as a matter of fact, I'm about to get this mothafucka filled in.

Q: Would you ever collaborate with anyone who ever over looked you or this city? (*meanmug)

A: That's a good question. Right now a nigga getting' old man and I ain't on no beefin' shit right now with niggas. I'm bout to make niggas recognize. They have overlooked and when a nigga do get his proper shine on, I'm sure niggas gon' come out the closets and try to work and shit like that. A few artists I won't fuck wit, but if a nigga real and me and the nigga bond like that…I don't mind workin' wit who ever.

Q: The song 'Never Change' seems very personal dealing with your mom. Was it hard to share this side of your life with the world? (*wardedout)

A: I've written my life out in raps like everything I ever been through. I'm made for that. The 'Never Change' song it ain't shit, I got like 20 more songs just as deep as that. As you hear on 'Broke Starvin & Gangbangin', the first song when it starts out….if you like 'Never Change', you gon' lose yo mind when you hear 'Broke Starvin' & Gangbangin' ‘cause I got even deeper than I did on 'Never Change'.

Q: Will you ever do a sequel to 'Never Change' regardless of who is doing the production? (*O_o)

A: Nah that's over. That chapter's done.

Q: Would you work with Kanye West again? (*FrumDay1)

A: Nah.

Q: What else can we expect from 40 Gang in the future? (*wardedout)

A: My mixtape “Beast Mode” is droppin' right after my Broke Starvin' & Gangbangin. This way I can let all my guys, Chico , Shamira, Nickol Slick and all the artists I fuck wit let they hair down too. ‘Cause niggas is wack out here, Chicago niggas is fuckin' wack. You finna see what I'm finna do. When you hear the "Broke, Starvin' & Gangbangin' album, you gonna be like “this is what the fuckin' game is missin' man”. I ain't never felt this confident ever. In like the first quarter I'm rushin' niggas with all my people's releases. I love 40 Gang, but it's time for them niggas to grind. Right now I need to put myself in a position where I can be able to make something happen for them.

Q: Do you see yourself doing a nationwide tour with The Legion Records? (*ktownpop187)

A: We've talked about getting all Chicago artists like me, Twist, Bump, Shawnna and who ever out here makin' noise. I'm not for sure what type of progress they're makin towards makin' that happen, but hell yeah I'm ready to get on the fuckin' road man!

Payroll breaks down the story of how he originally hooked up with The Legion Records:

I was tryin' to find a studio to record in. I didn't have no studio to get down in. A buddy put me up on a producer named Dead Bodies. He had a lil studio out in Gary, Indiana . So I swung through there one day and Ric Jil was in there recordin'. So niggas had heard about me n shit. There was a few Legion representatives in the studio at that time. So they runnin' beats or whateva and I let my hair down. I did me… and niggas was standin' there wit they jaws dropped to the floor like “damn this nigga the truth”. I wasn't doin' nothing as far as havin' a deal. I was just tryin' to put somethin' together. They asked me what I think about comin' over there. I said it's cool. I was informed that Cap was comin' over there. I already knew they had Belo and few things goin' on, so I thought it was a good move to do at the time.