With two singles from his debut album, Units In The City, burning up the airwaves across all fifty states, Shawty Lo has far surpassed the modest goal set by his album’s title. One of them, “Dey Know,” is questionably one of the hottest remix of the year thus far, laden with features and the beat has been a top choice for others “freestyles.” Not to mention, or really…how could we not mention, the man’s campaign for the title of “King of the South” is in full swing.

This past Monday, TSS Crew’s Beware had the opportunity to talk the self-proclaimed “Bankhead Boss” about his success, tribulations, trials and some guy named T.I.

Graphics By P.

TSS: Hello?

Shawty Lo: Okay.

TSS: Alright. Shawty L-O. I got you. Now we’re recording and ready to go. I apologize for puttin’ you through that hassle.

TSS: Okay.

TSS: So, like I was saying earlier…you had a big show at Phillips Arena this past weekend. Lots of guests. An interesting opening video. T.I. on the same bill. Break it down for me.

Shawty Lo: You know, it’s crazy, man. This was Birthday Bash #13, one of the biggest Birthday Bashes ever. So, about two weeks early, everybody wanted to see what Shawty Lo was gonna do and what T.I. was gonna do. So, I came and did my thang.

TSS: So, besides just doing your thing, rocking the mic obviously…I heard you were guys were kinda throwing some jabs at each others’ way. You put up a picture on the big-screen that said ‘A New King Is Born.’ What were trying to get across with that message?

Shawty Lo: Shit, that I’m the king of Bankhead. That’s period. I’m new to the music industry, but I am the king of Bankhead. Ain’t really jabbin’; I came to give the folks a good show. I ain’t come to do no arguing. I came to give the folks a good show and they voted for Shawty Lo.

TSS: Alright, how’d you parlay all the guests into your set? I saw you had Dem Franchise Boyz, DG Yola, you had everybody up there. How’d that work out?

Shawty Lo: You know, I’m the originator from Bankhead, so I brought all the Bankhead groups out. If T.I. was from Bankhead, he would’ve brought ‘em out. They came with Shawty Lo.

TSS: Alright, well, I was basically just getting that outta the way. I only brought it up ‘cause I had to. That was your recent news, so I had to touch on it. Now, I want to speak on some stuff I was interested in. Can you gimmie a play-by-play of a day in the life of Shawty Lo? Front to back.

Shawty Lo: Like an average day? When I’m at home, not on the road?

TSS: Sure, a day that you consider a good day…when you’ve gone form beginning to end, fulfilling your goals, doin’ what you do.

Shawty Lo: Average day, you know, I just be me. I’m at home, with the fam, kickin’ it. Or I be at the studio, with my groups, and me also. That’s the average day. I like to have fun, though. I play basketball, or whatever. I don’t do much to stress myself out, I just let it flow.

TSS: You got a good jumpshot or what?

Shawty Lo: I got a good inside game. My jumpshot ain’t 100, but I got a good inside game.

TSS: You gotta work it inside out, ya know what I’m sayin?

Shawty Lo: Yeaaaaaah.

TSS: (Laughs) What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you so far in 2008?

Shawty Lo: The craziest thing that’s happened to me in 2008, um….that’s a good question. I’d just say the fans, you know taking me in as a new solo artist. For them to take to me this well. I guess they know my story real, and for them to sing, word for word, every song when I be doin’ shows.

TSS: What’s it really like to be in up in front of thousands of people and have them know every word? Describe that feeling, if you could.

Shawty Lo: It’s a rush, man. You know, I gotta give all thanks to God. I believe it ‘s a blessing, coming form where I come from. I had a bad history, and I turned a negative into a positive. To see everybody…the fans screaming, singing along with what I do…it’s a blessing, man.

TSS: That is a blessing. Life seems to be treating you right these days. How much have things picked up since you came home in 2005?

Shawty Lo: Man, they done picked up real well. Since, like, 2007, 2008, I just had DJ T-Rock, DJ Scream, I had my DJ, Swamp Izzo, I just had our team working hard. Working hard on the music, in the streets, on the mixtapes…it’s just been crazy.

TSS: Yea, you got two huge songs on the radio in “Dey Know” and “Foolish,” obviously the remixes, too. They’re big in the country, especially on the blocks and in the clubs. It makes sense…your music is real…street. Dope money. Credibility. Cars. Bankhead. How hard was it to make that transition from the block to the booth?

Shawty Lo: Basically…it was kinda hard. It was like, when I first started my group, D4L in 2003, I wasn’t trying to be no rapper. Then I went to prison in 2004, and I came home in 2005, and I had one of my artist’s artists come up to me, sayin’, people in the streets sayin’ ‘D4L ain’t nothin’ without Fabo’ and I kinda’ took it to offense. But I couldn’t go back to the streets selling drugs ‘n stuff, I had to really be in the studio. So, then, when I came up with the song, “I’m Da Man” and people was sayin’, “Shawty Lo, that’s the type of music we wanna hear from you. We know you lived it for real. We know you lived in Bankhead for real. We wanna hear you.’ And, you know what I’m sayin’, I started form there. I just kept recording, and kept recording and people like, ‘You the one!!!’”

TSS: You’ve publicly stated that you’ve only rapped for three years, and that you don’t really consider yourself a rapper yet. What will it take for you personally to believe your fit claim that title of rapper?

Shawty Lo: Oh, you know, I’m just a finesser. You don’t even have to call me a rapper, period. I’m just a finesser. I just finesse speech. A rapper? I talk about what I live. How I kick it. I call it slow flow.

TSS: Do you ever see yourself evolving from the slow flow, just kickin’ it? Taking it to more of a….I guess I’ll call it Hip-Hop. Taking it more conceptual, digger deeper into yourself, instead of just talking about everyday stuff, man, like material objects and status? Do you ever see yourself taking it further than that?

Shawty Lo: Yea, you know, I take it one day at a time. I can’t just….how I work, I just don’t put anything out, man. It’s gotta be what I’ve done seen, or what I’ve experienced. Like family…I just gotta feel it. My music comes from the heart. I’m not out there like “c’mon, let’s make a hit right now.” It comes from the heart. I gotta be places. I gotta see things. I gotta make it happen. I gotta be inspired. I can’t just put out anything.

TSS: What inspires you the most?

Shawty Lo: What inspires me the most? Realness. One my inspirations in music is Jay-Z. He inspired me to be a rapper.

TSS: Was it his hustle, or was it his actual lyrics, his pen game?

Shawty Lo: It was him, complete. All-around. I was just liking it. When he was talking about the life he lived, I felt like he was talking about me.

TSS: That’s true. He reaches to a lot of people like that. That’s what you’re trying to do in this music business, too?

Shawty: Yeaaaaaah.

TSS: Alright, over the weekend, Young Jeezy’s name got brought into the BMF case. What are your thoughts on that?

Shawty Lo: What happened?

TSS: In the BMF case, one of the witnesses said that he (Jeezy) had been bringing in some weight. They’re implicating him on certain things. What are your thoughts on that?

Shawty Lo: Well, you know, people talk. A lot of people talk just to get outta certain situations. I can’t really speak on it, ’cause I don’t really know about the situation, but you know, when people successful, they’ll do anything to try and bring you down.

TSS: Well, with Baby D, T.I. and now, possibly Jeezy…that’s three rappers with federal cases, especially from your area. Do you think that it’s really wise for rappers to be putting out their personal business, and their stats, over wax for everybody?

Shawty Lo: If you still doin’ it, no. But if you not, you know what I’m sayin,’ you done did what you done did. It’s whatever. If you doin’ what you like legally, then, you can talk about whatever. If you still in the game, then no way in hell should you be talkin’ about it. That’s a risk of you goin’ to jail. And you got a lot of rappers that just talk about it. Half of ‘em ain’t really did it anyway.

TSS: I know. See, I think it’s stunning when I hear people coming out there, on the radio, talking…giving prices. I think that’s astounding. How are you gonna put yourself out there like that? You got Hip-Hop cops, specifically for things like that, and people still do it. What do you think about that?

Shawty Lo: It’s crazy, man. Some folk’ll do anything just to try and get on, instead of just working hard at it. You gotta be yourself, you can’t be nobody else. You gotta be original. I’m an original. I can’t talk about nobody but me. Nobody’s life but mine. I know what I’ve lived.

TSS: Alright, I got one more question. Kind of a cover all on the last topic. Awhile ago, Timbaland said something in an interview, along the lines of, “the dope game is ruining the rap game.” Basically saying anyone with money could break into the game, keeping more deserving, but broke, artists out of the running. Maybe it was watering down the rap game. What do you think about that?

Shawty Lo: He probably ain’t never been in the dope game. Everybody wasn’t born with a silver spoon. So, that’s an opinion. It ain’t no fact. It’s an opinion. You know, people gotta get on.

TSS: But, do you think he has a point there?

Shawty Lo: Naaaaaaaw….I dunno…

TSS: But all these people can come in with there money, whether they made it that way or not, and get a few notable artists on a remix, and get put on right away. Then, they’re a star in the making. Do you think that’s right? Don’t you think there should be work put into it?

Shawty Lo: There gotta be work put into it. Yea, I feel like work should be put into it.

TSS: Once you get your foot in the door, then you put in the work, huh?

Shawty Lo: Yea. Real recognize real. So, you gotta put work in. I put major work in. It took me two years, but when it happened…it happened.

TSS: Well, you’re very fortunate for that, man. You seem like you got a lot going for you right now. You’re doin’ it…doin’ it big.

Shawty Lo: I appreciate that, homie.

TSS: For sure. Lo, thanks for the time, and you have a safe trip to L.A. and continued success.

Shawty Lo will be premiering his new video, “Foolish” (Remix), on MTV’s newest series FNMTV. Catch Shawty on tonight’s episode @ 8PM.