One bright Sunday morning, I posted some videos to entertain you all.
Immediately after we recieved a comment & an email convo ensued...
Naw its all good fam. Just didn't want it to be an issue with BMF knowing that it hasn't aired yet. You like mafia things right? Ever seen The Godfather? Instead of Luca Brasi, consider this a message saying "John Gotty sleeps with the fishes if you ever post any of the shit I'm affiliated with!"
Thank you for pulling it fam..I hope you understand NOW...
Nah, I'm buggin...that's only partially true lol.
Turns out my guy here has been one of the coolest folk we've encountered while doing this blog shit.
Trust that there was way way more we could've posted, some confidential, some equally interesting, but we wanted to keep it short (used very loosely here). Be realistic; we're not trained professionals nor do we care about alloted space or words...We didn't edit much because we thought it was a damn good story and we figure you'd wanna read it all in it's entirety for the most part! Take that! Take that! Take that! © Puffy
Real talk though...my son's roots run deep in this thing we call hip-hop...
Just sit back, read & enjoy
Kareem Johnson: Yo!... what's good
TSS: The man of the next hour lol. Nada what's good w/you my good sir
KJ: Ready to get this poppin lol
TSS: Let's do this the right way...since most cats don't know what a video producer is, what role does Kareem Johnson play in the vids we see on the TV screen?
KJ: My role is that after the director writes the concept or his idea for the video my job is to then ask the label or production company what the budget is...then budget the idea/concept out. Once the budget is approved, I proceed to get everything that is in that concept/idea, from the girls, cars, homes, etc
KJ: The director definitely has input but I’m the money man who has to make it happen
TSS: Hmm....so you bring together the people, the place, the set, etc?
KJ: Yes sir...I provided the production in other words….anytime you go on a set...all that you see, I provide
(TSS makes clear indication that Kareem is the one holding Tommy Motolla's money at the video shoots)
KJ: I basically run the set with the help of a few other dept's
TSS: Song of the moment for you?
KJ: Wow....you all provide so many lol...
TSS: Ha-ha..glad to hear we're one of your sources
KJ: Right now...old school Nice & Smooth, the first cd
TSS: Haha...I think we threw that up a few weeks ago. Old school shit right there.
KJ: Yeah...I'm mostly into hip hop from 88-92.
TSS: So when you visit, what genre do you grab most?
KJ: I grab the hip hop and jazz. Like I got Love Supreme yesterday
TSS: Yessir...Coltrane For Lovers is gettin constant spins from me personally…aiight...here's an easy one…What was the first thing you bought w/your first fat check?
KJ: To be honest...good weed and sneakers...and paid some bills. Gotta be an adult about this
TSS: You're pretty upfront about your use of weed? So do you stand on the set & blow trees man?
KJ: Yeah...it’s the norm now a day. We wait till lunch or after we call wrap or I smoke with the artist nah nah…just playin about lunch
TSS: Funniest artist you've been around while blowed?
KJ: Redman or Biggie...hands down
TSS: Ha-ha...I can imagine. Was Biggie as funny & charismatic as people say he was? I've read a lot of interviews on him and everybody says that. I can only imagine being around that dude & soaking up his aura
KJ: Yes he was...I was fortunate to do 3 Big videos
TSS: Which ones?
KJ: “Big Poppa”, “Warning”, “Get Money"...but I ain’t produce. I was electric dept then I was setting lights on sets before I moved up to produce videos; gotta crawl before you walk
TSS: Word. Worked you way up the ladder as they say. Nothing wrong w/that at all
KJ: Yes sir, crazy climb though
TSS: Give us a Biggie moment...cats would love to hear it
KJ: well...lol...I used to smoke White Owl blunts all the time. One day at lunch me and my man Gerald went out to smoke and we saw Big and Junior Mafia smoking. we joined them and I got passed the blunt. The blunt was smooth and I asked what type of blunt is was & they said Dutch Masters. From then on it was Dutch masters for the kid. BIG had asked me what was my favorite song off his debut cd so I had to tell him "Unbelievable", which is soooooo a classic…oh yeah… Big’s feet stunk when we did "Big Poppa" video. The part in the video when Puff says "How ya living Biggie Smalls?" in the jacuzzi…well Big's feet was smelling that room up....he had just taken off his Timbs to get in the jacuzzi...ugh
TSS: Ha-ha...the man said he was fat & nasty so I guess it's to be expected
KJ: Yes sir....he was real cool though, for real!
TSS: I was watching The Sopranos the other week & they were showing Chrissy gettin free gifts and shit. is free shit really that fuckin available to everyone in the various entertainment industries?
KJ: Yeah.. I been in one of those rooms with Lil Jon. check out the cd/dvd Part 2. It's all documented lol
TSS: Word.
KJ: You have to be a star to get love like that, but I had a camera to film it all. The VMA's is where it's really at with those gifts
TSS: damnit...this blogging shit better propel me to an industry gig…I want free shit! lol
KJ: I hope so...I wanted to build with you on that...you guys are very popular amongst my dudes, trust.
TSS: Word, that's love right there man. But let me ask you, how animated is Lil Jon in reality? We all know the persona & the assumption that he's just a wild dude but he's gotta be pretty damn smart
KJ: when the cameras are rolling he's crazy! But he's very very smart….very…can’t stress it enough. VERY! I’ve done four videos with him, “Bia Bia”, “Get Low”, “I Don’t Give A…” and “Play No Games”.
TSS: So you got awards around the house and shit? Like, should I plan on coming & stealing a platinum plaque off the walls lol?
KJ: Yeah man, got a platinum plaque for Kings of Crunk album. Actually a lot of Lil Jon stuff. If you do go out with Jon though, be prepared because he'll drink ya ass to death. I just moved to Atlanta last year from NY, me and the wife, so I get to see him frequently
TSS: Okay...you've made the move from NYC to ATL. Personally I consider ATL to be like baby NYC really because of all the transplants....
KJ: Yeah it is…esp. now
TSS: Biggest differences to you, only one or two, btw the North & the South?...people-wise or customs. don't mention Waffle House!
KJ: I went to college here so I see the transformation. But, the music for sure….the music is really different. the shit I would hear on NY's hot97 I wouldn’t hear down here on hot 107.9
TSS: Snap, crunk or neither?
KJ: I love all the Southern genres, esp. the snap movement really simple beats and hooks I’m feeling "Yola The Great" right now
: Coming from NYC, you like the music? We hear so many complaints about the South "ruining" hip-hop
KJ: It depends really. I can tolerate it but its nothing like the sound of real hip hop from the 88-94 era
TSS: Say word. that's a no-brainer. I think hip-hop's a buffet now, where you can choose what you want, when you want and there's enough for everybody
KJ: I don’t think you can box music esp. hip hop. I know we want it for "ourselves" but it aint ours anymore..trust!
TSS: Yeah, I’ve heard various stories from behind the scenes cats relaying that message
KJ: It’s true!
TSS: Since you took it there...Your worst (or first) experience with Industry Rule #4080?
KJ: The politics about just being yourself esp. visually that’s my real experience. I don’t really deal with the music end but I know when it comes to videos these artist sometimes really go overboard with there image being something that they are not esp. new artist. new artist come out the gate pimped out/Phantom'ed out ya know but the viewers don’t know you. I can see if you are Jay-z, Will Smith, Puff, etc...we expect that from them because they are paid but not out the gate on your first single, feel me? Oh yeah...the local rap cats that want the world… I see sad faces when the Phantom has to go back to the dealer lol
TSS: Ha-ha
KJ: I had one artist who wanted a Hype Williams type video he only had $25K for the video
TSS: "well how much is a Hype video gonna cost me, sir?"
KJ: Way more than 25K...lol
TSS: lol
KJ: It depends but over 200K plus those girls are not cheap
TSS: Son couldn't even get a 30 sec. Hype commercial sounds like?
KJ: Those Hype, Lil X, Benny Boom girls cost money
TSS: Oh man...we were gonna touch the subject of girls but since you mentioned marriage I'll steer clear lol.
KJ: Naw the wife is cool…she's in the biz so she knows. My wife is Lil Jon's executive assistant.
. I did the "Tip Drill" video and Luda's "Pussy Poppin" video too
TSS: I’m a savage...I was gonna ask for most degrading acts you've seen women pull @ video shoots but WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO…”Tip Drill”? *bows down in praise* Fuck it...end of interview! you win! you're that dude lol
KJ: I’m doing another “Tip Drill” type video on may 8
TSS: When I was a shorty, we had paper visuals...you're that dude responsible for making BET Uncut what it is for today's teens lol
KJ: I know…I’m so sorry
TSS: Hold on....do you ever feel like "damn, I'm fuckin up the youth"? on a serious note
KJ: Yes I do
TSS: I look at your catalog and I see you got some positivity on your rap sheet though, w/Kanye, Little Brother etc
KJ: For real….I struggle with that all the time. But I have to eat ya know
TSS: Yeah...you sound like a crack dealer lol …but seriously BET wouldn't play LB's shit
KJ: I know…I was pissed with that one. I spoke to LB recently about it