"Diddy don't even make good music, he makes sucker music. His swagger, his hustle, and what he does make people listen to him."
 

In 2003, P. Diddy’s hit series Making The Band 2 had everyone tune into MTV on a weekly basis. The show was filled with everything from studio sessions, heated arguments, to fights; all the ingredients for great TV. It began with over 30,000 aspiring singers and rappers wanting a chance to be apart of the Bad Boy empire. In the end, only six eager artists who we would come to know as the Da Band were chosen to live out their grind on camera. Later that year, Da Band, consisting of five rappers and one singer, released their debut album, Too Hot for TV. The album adorned two singles, Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That and then their second hit single, Tonight. The album was certified gold with selling 600,000 copies.

New Orleans native Chopper Young City was the youngest member and some would say one of the most controversial yet well-liked characters in Da Band. In spite of Chopper not being one of the two members that Diddy kept after deciding to split up the group, Chopper continued on his path. Eventually, he reunited with Bad Boy and his hit Lil Daddy, which was featured on the Hustle and Flow soundtrack, was created.

Yo! Raps caught up with Chopper Young City and discussed Making The Band 2, Diddy, his new Money Over Everything movement, and overrated artists.

What have you been up to since Making The Band?

Honestly, to keep it all the way real with you, it’s been risky business. The reason why I say that is because once Making The Band was over with when Diddy chose Ness and Babs, I didn't really care. It’s way deeper than Making The Band to me. I've been doing this sh*t since I was a kid; since I was a little boy. I did that situation as a stepping stone for me to get to where I need to be and in order for me to do what I gotta do. So when Diddy broke up Da Band I did enough already to get to the next step. I started networking with people, started grinding, doing the best I can do to try to survive and keep making this money. I ended up meeting people, going here, going there so much that everywhere I was going, I would see Diddy.

So what was your situation with Diddy and Bad Boy?

Every time he saw me, he saw me doing my thing, so he called up Harve Pierre, and they called me up. They were basically like we're not really on that Ness and Babs situation anymore. So I said, “Alright cool, great,” and I was somewhat excited because I'm solo now. This is a true story, I'm not lying about this. I told Diddy we should start something called Bad Boy South. You should have a Bad Boy South like Def Jam South and weeks later he started Bad Boy South. Maybe I just came with an idea that was already on his mind. I know once I said it, it started.

You were signed to Bad Boy South…

I'm the first artist signed to Bad Boy South. We shot the Lil Daddy video that was on my album New Jack City, and then we shot the remix with Lil Wayne and Jody Breeze. We shot it around my hood, and I brought Wayne through.

Big accomplishment…

It was a good look; everybody was happy, and proud of me that I was finally getting to where I need to go. The video came out on BET, MTV, MTV Jams; it was looking good for a second. Hustle and Flow movie came out, it was in the movie, on the soundtrack, and I got a plaque for that.

How did you link up with Lil Wayne?

I had to go to court, and I had to wear a suit, and the suit became the Chopper suit. Who ever came up with the idea it was funny. I ain't get mad at it because you can't assassinate me, I'm too great, and I'm eating over here. I'm getting me over here period. That's when Bow Wow and Lil Wayne started getting involved.

Wayne knows me, he knows me. We are from New Orleans, so at the end of the day, he knows people I know, which is why I won't even get too far with anything when it comes to him. He knows where my people stay, I know where his, so you know. At the end of the day, I still call him a sucker because he be acting like a sucker sometimes.

You are obviously not on Bad Boy anymore. What’s the reason for that?

Hurricane Katrina hit not so long after that, when I was in Miami, Florida for the Video Music Awards. I didn't think it was going to be as big as it was. My family was f*cked up, they were in the Super Dome, they were calling me like, “We need your help.“ It was like, “I'm on my way on that bubble" and then there was a setback because most of my money went to my family.

I said, “Diddy, help me with my family,” and he said he got me, but he never had me. I was like I need it by, and he said, “I got you playboy.” I never got it by that time, so I said, "F*ck Bad Boy." I didn't get dropped or nothing, I just said, "F*ck y’all." I gotta take care of my family because when I die they are going to be to be there. My family comes first before anything, so basically I handled my family business. I said, "F*ck Bad Boy," so automatically when Diddy feels like he didn't win over you, he will blackball you to the utmost.

Are you disappointed in Diddy?

What makes me so damn slick is I can really do this sh*t. Diddy taught me something. He taught me that nobody gives a flying f*ck about me if I'm ever in the situation that I can't help myself. He taught me that I have to do everything by my muthaf*cking self. No one man is an army, but I learned how to do things by myself. I learned how to be in the worst situations and make that sh*t golden. I used my street smarts with my smarts, and I put that sh*t together. I started putting out mixtapes, started doing shows more, but then I’d go to the labels, and they'd be like, “Diddy and we got a phone call,” you know trying to blackball a n*gga. They wanted to f*ck with me, but they say, “We can’t choose you over Diddy.”

So did Diddy really blackball you?

Nah, it’s like he tried to. This wasn’t even important to me because I don't care what anybody says. My mind don't make it seem like I got blackballed at that time. I was making it seem like, “Okay, this is what you choose over me.” If I see something that’s a diamond in a rough, I got to sign it up because I want the diamond. Diddy don't even make good music, he makes sucker music. His swagger, his hustle, and what he does make people listen to him.

Is that how you feel about him today?

Nah, not today. I'm talking from then until now. I'm giving you this because you asked me something that’s very important and a lot of people don't ask me off gate. I'm giving you the update of my triumph.

Well, how do you feel about Diddy now? Personally and on a business level?

He made me re-evaluate how I felt because I was young. I got my first deal when I was 17. I did Making The Band starting at 17, the rest of them was 23 and over. I was only a kid, but I'm handled myself like a grown up because I already lived that sh*t. With Diddy, I appreciate him now instead of being mad at him because of what he didn't do. I chose not to hold that grudge, and I really appreciate what he's done for me.

Are you still cool with any of the band members?

Honestly, I don't really talk to nobody. Can't nobody really help me with nothing. What we got to talk about. Diddy made us fight and argue all the damn time, manipulating us. I'm just saying how I felt.

What situation would you say was manipulated in the show?

Honestly, Diddy did things to us just to make it a show. Mind you, that was his first Making The Band, so we were basically like lab rats. He really taught us, so I can't sit up here and straight blast on him. He just showed us with tough love, he fucked us up though. He sent us for cheesecake, who the f*ck walks for a cheesecake -- that sh*t was humiliating. At the end of the day, I still see it like, “You f*cked with us too,” so I call it tough love.

How did your beef with E. Ness start?

It started like this; Ness was freestyle battling n*ggas on the street. So I was like, “Ness, how are you making yourself? Why are you doing that? Just work on your f*cking album! Don't be f*cking freestyle battling, you were just rapping on MTV, so get this money.” I wasn't bad talking him. I just don't see how he’s freestyling and that’s going backwards not forwards. Then he got on an interview saying, “F*ck me.”

How are you and E. Ness now?

The situation with E. Ness doesn't make a difference to me. I'm not even mad anymore, at first I was. Then I talked to a couple of my homies and they we're basically like, “Chop, you're doing your thing, you're the one who is popping.”

So what are you currently working on?

I started Money Over Everything Ent., of all my paths that just gave me honestly a way of causing money over everything. I have artists coming; I have people behind me, so basically I learned these things with our label with our own entertainment company. There's a lot of labels right now trying to sign me, but I chose that I would rather put it out independently. So I can make all this money for my muthaf*cking self instead of having to feed Uncle Tom and his family.

Name one artist that you believe is the hottest right now?

The hottest rapper to me, I'm feeling Dorrough, I like Gucci; I mean Jay-Z is nothing unusual. I like n*ggas that are up and coming opposed to n*ggas that are already out.

What about an artist that is overrated in your opinion?

Lil Wayne! I think the n*gga is talented, but I don't just go off your talent. I go off your character as well as your talent to overall you as a person, that’s why I say that. I think some of these n*ggas need to get their personal together and keep it all the way gangsta. I'm a fan of that n*gga, I've been a fan for years. Your personal is the key for me to understand you as a rapper no matter if you're a hot rapper or not. Like Soldier Slim to me, he was the number one artist that I rocked with and Pimp C -- I like n*ggas like that.

How do you feel about Young Money artist Drake?

I don't feel his gangsta, but I think he's a talented artist for the ladies. I'll jam to him in the club, but I ain't gonna buy his album. I like commercial sh*t, but I like that sh*t that makes you feel hard. He can still talk about b*tches, but it gotta be hard to me.

What is more important to you, money or the quality of music?

The quality of music because money comes with the music. Money comes with anything that you’re doing enough, and if you’re doing it good. The quality of music is what matters because, in reality, it’s legendary and money just blows away like leaves. At the end of the day, without money you isn’t got nothing, not on this planet real talk. I hate to say it, but money is almost bigger than God.

- By Isha "Ice" Cole