Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998) s03e06 Episode Script
Gangsta Rap
1 (Rapping) There's a car, it's driving down the road - There's a frog, and there's a little toad - Yeah.
I'm actually just making stuff up.
Is that allowed? I mean, I didn't see a frog or a toad.
New Orleans, Louisiana.
I'd heard about an extreme form of gangsta rap that claimed to mirror violent ghetto life, here in America's so-called Dirty South.
My mission - to make it as the first white, middle-class gangsta rapper.
How're you doing? First stop, a rap label called Forefront Entertainment.
They specialise in hardcore.
I wasn't sure what that meant.
My contact, one Q-T-Pie.
I smell something that smells like fish Niggaz wanna bitch Ho's wanna snitch Play this shit raw, get your wig split Niggaz, grab yo dick Bitches, pussy whip Test, test, test, test.
Are you Q-T-Pie? - Yeah, I'm Q-T-Pie.
How're you doing? - I'm Louis, from the BBC.
- How are you doing? - 0h, yeah, how're you doing? - I'm in the middle of recording.
- It's sounding good, actually.
Give you a ghettorectomy, pull yo balls out through yo throat Have you sucking on yo own dick like Lewinsky on the Clinton loveboat I can't believe you tried to play me like that Now you sweatin' like you in a sauna on the beaches of Daytona Test, test.
Did you say you were going to give someone a ghettorectomy? What is that? Yeah, I'm gonna give 'em a ghettorectomy, pull their balls out through their throat, have 'em sucking on their own dick, like Lewinsky on the Clinton loveboat.
- Yeah.
- That's me getting revenge.
Quite gruff.
Isn't that tough on your vocal cords? 0h, no, I'm used to it.
You know, the rapping part, I've been doing it since I was about 13, 14, something like that.
I'm hoping to maybe learn a bit about rap, get involved a little bit.
- I like some rap, you know.
- 0h.
Is that something you could teach me a bit about? Come here.
You have to come right here.
Whoa.
That might be too much.
- Right now? - Right! Grab your nuts while you're singing, Louis.
(Both) I smell something that smells like fish - I smell something - No.
I smell something that smells like fish - That's what I was just doing.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no! - I smell some What was wrong with that? - Hold up! - 0K, you give me a run through.
- Louis, you're killin' me.
I smell something that smells like fish Melon farmers wanna bitch, ho's wanna snitch Play that shit raw, get your wig split Fellas, grab yo dick, bitches pussy whip (Laughter) If you think I'm not doing that well, just let me know.
All right, I'm gonna let you know.
I don't have my shoes on, Louis, so - I record without shoes.
- 0K.
Do you? Yeah.
Let me put my shoes on, Louis.
I'm coming.
(Louis) Take your time.
If someone said to you, "That's good but it's going to sell a lot more if you go a bit softer" - No, that can't - Yes or no? No, that can't happen, cos if I rap sounding like "My name is Q-T" No.
- That's not me.
- That sounded pretty good.
Nah! (Gruffly) My name is Q-T-Pie! No, that's me.
You see what I'm saying? (Sweetly) My name is Q-T and I No.
That's whack.
(Louis) How are you doing? (Q-T-Pie) Hey, y'all! - Hey! - How are you doing? - You're Sparky.
- Yeah, how you doing? The man Sparky.
You were talking into my earphones.
- Right, right, right.
- I'm Louis.
- Yeah, you did pretty good.
- Thank you.
- I had to do this for him.
- Louis did good.
- Quite hardcore.
- Yeah, well, that's life.
- That's life, you know.
- At Forefront Entertainment? - Pretty much.
- Do you do gangsta rap at all? Yeah, I mean, pretty much everything we do is gangsta rap.
Cos when you say gangsta rap, you think like, high crime areas, violent background.
But you, Sparky and Q-T-Pie seem very well spoken.
What are your backgrounds like? College? - Four years.
- Four years at college? Yeah, yeah, so - Did you go to college, Q-T-Pie? - Yeah, four years of college.
You know, graduated and got the degree, the whole shindig.
But I'm just saying, my middle class and your middle class, totally different.
Forefront aren't Just about hardcore gangsta rap.
They also produce hardcore gangsta porn films.
Q- T-Pie took me to company director Kim.
- How are you doing? - How are you? Good.
How are you doing, Kim? Forefront Entertainment, it's an exciting project.
Porn and sex and the whole thing has always been a part of hip hop culture.
- Really? - Yeah, it's always been there.
Do you use your rappers in the porn films? And do the porn stars rap as well? For example, The Vicious Pussycat is a movie that we're working on.
She's starring in the movie but with the sex scenes we'll have our porn, our people that do porn come in and perform.
Really? If you're the main character, though, won't people be expecting to see you in the hardcore scenes? You're gonna have to see the movie! If they expect that, they expect that, but I'm not telling you how far I'm going, Louis! After you.
Are these some of your movies? Forefront movies? These are our movies that we've done over the years.
Hot Black Southern Freaks.
- Black & Wild, Generation Triple X.
- Mm-hm.
- And Platinum Pussies.
- Platinum Pussies.
- They're all black themed, aren't they? - Right.
That's what Because there is such a shortage of black adult entertainment films.
We know what we wanna see.
"Hot new ebony honeys from all over the US, doing the nasty stuff like the pros.
" - (Q-T-Pie) The nasty stuff! - It's called Keeping It Real.
This is where we do some of the editing, as well.
- Yes.
How are you doing? What's your name? - Hi.
How you doin'? - Dick McGee.
- Dick McGee.
Louis.
- Nice to meet you.
- Dick McGee writes the scripts for the movies.
- Is that you? - Yeah, that's me.
This is the new movie.
It's a funny combination, isn't it, doing rap and porn? - It's a unique combination.
- It's something that's never been done before.
This is the first time that it's actually been combined.
You're making what you would like to see.
Yeah, just like the music.
Nothing is watered down or whatever.
Who's that on there, right now? 0h, that's Cupcake.
That's Cupcake and that's Snake.
Say, you gonna roll with us? I'm gonna take Louis to rehearsal.
Q- T-Pie was off to Join Forefront's porn stars at a run-through for her new movie, Vicious Pussycat.
The film ties in with the release of her album of the same name.
(Woman) What the fuck's going on? You told me it was just supposed to be a robbery and that was it.
This some personal shit, I really can't get into it right now.
- What's going on? - Boom! Sparky, what's happening in this scene? Simone and Lex had It was kind of like they set up a hit.
- Who's Simone? - Simone is Satin.
- Satin, how do you do? Louis.
- Hi.
- Pleased to meet you.
That was looking good.
- Thank you.
- Is that a real gun? - Yeah, it's real.
Wow.
Make sure there's no bullets in it.
Yeah, no bullets.
- And Satin plays, erm - Simone.
Simone, who is Q-T-Pie's sidekick.
Exactly, and they're kinda like in a relationship together.
She's gonna actually kill her friend in this scene.
Hello? Sparky, why did Satin just take her top off? 0h, we're just rehearsing this part, just to make it look natural.
- Like she would be at home.
- And a bit sexy? - Yeah, that too.
- That doesn't hurt.
- No, it doesn't hurt.
- It doesn't hurt.
I'd enjoyed my time with Q-T-Pie.
But I was getting the impression that gangsta rap was more about playing at being tough.
- Bitch! - What the fuck you gonna do? So far, so good.
But now I wanted to meet the real thing.
I had a lead in Jackson, Mississippi, about a gangster who was turning his back on crime in order to pursue a rap career.
Yeah, you can get out, mind.
- How are you doing? You must be Mellow T.
- No doubt.
- I'm Louis.
Louis Theroux.
- I heard a lot about you.
- Good.
- A lot about you.
- You're looking very, very smart.
- This is just Mellow style, you know.
This is, like, worldwide international godfather gangsta pimp style.
- Yeah, yeah.
- That's what I'm bringing you.
Is this your residence here? This is one of the residences I got for one of my groups.
This is nice.
It's quite dark in here, isn't it? Yeah, they like it that way.
- What is this? - It's the work-out area.
They either work out here or they work out in the prison.
- You feel? - Yeah.
- Who's this gentleman right here? - This is Big D.
- Big D.
How do you do? Louis.
- How you doin'? You know, me and this man right here I'm in the music business, but one of my number-one economic contributors has always been the pimp business.
You know what I'm saying? The scripple business, the prostitution business, that's been my business for the last three, four years.
- That's stuff you do, now? - Right.
Right, but it's the money.
It's the money behind my music.
It's the money that finances the studio, that finances the music business.
Cos in Britain, to be a pimp would be considered definitely - Illegal? Just like being a drug dealer? - Illegal, and maybe immoral.
Immoral.
Same thing here.
It's the same thing here.
It's the same thing.
Even stronger here.
Because, see, Mississippi's known as the Bible Belt state.
- So it's a bad thing to do? - Yeah, no doubt.
For sure.
And you can go to the penitentiary for doing it.
And you can get killed for doing it.
Mellow had a session booked with his producer, Derek.
He invited me to tag along.
One thing that's interesting about Mellow is that he's not just rapping about it, he's living it.
He's a real pimp.
He uses it to get himself out of a situation, and at the same time to bring a certain story, or the reality of what it's about, because you've got a lot of people that's talking about pimping and gangsta things.
They've never pimped, never sold drugs, they don't know what it's about.
Studio gangsters.
Mellow had invited me to rap with him.
This would be my debut performance, so I was a little bit nervous.
This is a song that I'm gonna be doing on my new album.
- Really? - I just don't want to be it no more.
You know what I'm sayin'? I don't want to be this no more.
( Drums playing) Is this baller? This goes out to all the young folks.
You know what I'm saying.
Young kiddies, thinking you want to get into these gangs.
True testimony, that's where I want to be, man You came from London just to hear my story I'm in the hood, within us be the glory Now I'm a pimp and I gots to break the ho, man Didn't get no education, but that's the way I make my dough, man Now, Louis, I'm in this shit, trying to be good I'm on my way, they say, to Hollywood I be pimping all night long, trying to make my paper If my bitch come in short, I got to break her This game's real, man I ain't no lie Just from the top of my head, man, every night I could die, damn People in London, when they see this tape They see stories of toughness and rape And ugliness and damage and plain miscarriages of justice I must guess that 0h, I lost it.
I lost it.
0K.
What are the things that living on the streets do to you? Maybe you shouldn't be a baller any more Maybe it's time to get away from wealth and start being poor Don't want to be a baller no more I hate to say it, but Louis, I'm about to go Now, I'll always be your G But I can't let these streets get the best of me I feel you, Louis.
Feel where you're coming from, man.
Straight out, you understand? - Yes.
Thank you.
- I feel where you're coming from.
I know what you're speaking upon, you know? - We both want out this thing.
- Yes, well, I'm not actually in it.
(Laughter) Mellow T with the BBC, coming to a store near you, you feel what I'm saying? Hopefully, in four or five more months, my music'll be so far off the ground, and, you know, I wouldn't have to be associated with that lifestyle no more.
But right now, I'm still in it.
Yeah, so you actually want to make a legitimate business out of the rapping, and leave pimping and prostitution behind you.
- For sure.
No doubt.
- Really? All this used to be crack houses, you know, we used to roll over here.
I'm gonna take you a couple of neighbourhoods, gonna get out, meet some of the people.
We all the same, you understand what I'm saying? What we write about is where we from.
- Which is where? - I mean the hood.
- Are we in the hood now? Definitely? - Right.
- Definitely.
It's part of it right here.
- You're in the heart of it! - Really? - Yes, sir.
I mean, we gotta keep moving, man.
I just wanted to check my boys here.
You were talking about credibility, right? This is where the stories come from that you rap about? Most definite.
Everybody around here got a story to tell.
(Louis) Yeah.
Hey, we gonna keep moving.
Don't want to mess up nobody's spot, man.
That seemed to get a little bit edgy towards the end there.
Yeah, you know, cos like right now, they working.
- What are they doing? - Selling drugs.
- That's why we had to keep moving.
- Why? Cos we messing up they business.
People ain't gonna stop when they see cameras.
They think we police camera people or something.
I thought they were rappers, mainly.
No? You don't be just a rapper here, you know.
Well, you see, I may be interested in getting a little bit involved in rap myself, but I don't have that kind of a background.
Well, you know, what I came to realise, man, every individual got something to say, you know what I'm saying? This is like, your lifestyle.
Me and you being from two different lifestyles, your lifestyle might interest me.
I might hear you rap about London and things that go on there, and I'm saying it's just your culture, whatever your culture be.
Hanging out with Mellow, I was beginning to feel maybe I couldn't get away with posing as a gangsta rapper myself.
So I was pleased he was interested in hearing about my life in London.
- Thank you very much.
- Appreciated, man.
For sure.
All right, Louis.
Have a good trip.
(Mellow T) That was lovely.
Still, I felt I needed more help before I rapped about my own experiences.
I'd come to Houston to meet the hottest image makers behind the rap scene, Pen and Pixel.
I had an appointment with their top designer, Sean Brock.
- Are you Sean? - Yes, I am.
I'm Louis.
Pleased to meet you.
I'll start with a tour.
How does that sound? This piece that you're looking at here, he's shooting a.
45 calibre slug out of the gun.
At you.
And the victim's face is reflected in the bullet before it hits him.
0h, that's your face? So you're being shot by What's his name? - Exactly.
He's in jail right now.
- He's in jail now? For what? - Shooting someone? - I think it was shooting someone.
And his manager died last year.
He's in jail now, and he'll be there for the next 25 years.
This guy's in jail.
He's in and out of jail like crazy.
When he makes money, he comes back, spends it here and then goes back to jail.
He's in jail, for shooting a police officer through the door.
These people are back in jail.
Mass 187.
This whole gang was indicted on, uh, torture-murder of a young lady.
They taped her to a chair and set her on fire.
All of them are in jail for life.
For someone from Britain it's shocking to see how much death and legal problems there is in these artists' lives.
(Sean) Right.
Do you feel any responsibility, inasmuch as these pictures do glamorise that? A little bit, yes, I do.
My major concern for my clients is to make sure that it sells.
That's what I'm here for.
I make sure that the stuff sells.
Is there anything on the walls that tickles your fancy? It's kind of grim and sombre.
I want to go for something a bit realer, more to do with me.
We'll start the sketching process up and we'll see what we can do.
0K? - All right, what are you trying to promote? - Me as a rap artist.
- What kind of rap? Is it gangsta rap? Soft? - It's going to be something a little softer.
Yeah, a little bit more about having fun, and being, not someone you want to mess around with, because you might come unglued, but someone who looks after himself.
What's the name of your promotional piece? What do you want to call it? - You want to call it MC Louis? Ice Louis? - MC Louis, do you think? I mean, that sounds a little lame, doesn't it? - We're just brainstorming, aren't we? - Sure.
Absolutely.
- Louis Lou.
- Louis Lou? I don't know if it's hard enough.
I think you've got to be concerned with being harder.
- Is there any way I could be Louis Theroux? - I don't think you'd make it in this game.
You have to have something that sticks.
You have to have something that's monumental when you walk out on stage.
- How do you mean? - Where would your danger come from? Are you connected to the IRA? Are you connected to the British Mob? Are you? Where's your danger? I would call the police and say, "Get out of my house,"or whatever.
0r"Leave me alone.
"I'll get a restraining order.
" - 0K.
We're gonna keep away from that item.
- Why? We're not going to be able to project that with enough force.
How about this? Maybe I'm not that dangerous.
I would shoot more for television.
The television element is something we could work with.
Maybe some multiple televisions behind you.
But also the microphone to indicate this is what I'm doing.
- Exactly.
- I enjoy glasses of red wine.
0h, I have a nice computer.
I wear glasses.
Little bit of a trademark.
Cats.
I like cats.
Stroking a cat.
Tickling a cat.
Scratching its ears.
That's nice.
I notice you're steering me towards something a little harder.
Why? That's the demographic that's gonna buy the stuff.
White, 14-year-old girls at the mall, spending their $40 every weekend on rap music to piss off Mom and Dad.
That's who's making these men millionaires.
- Am I gonna have much in the way of props? - No.
Nothing.
- Totally computer generated.
- Completely computer generated.
- Pure fakery.
- Correct.
I'd like to do maybe some jolly ones.
- Something like this.
- That's not gonna sell in the States.
There you go.
That's what I'm looking for, right there.
That's it, right there.
I'd like to meet some other clients, some people who are getting their photo taken, some up-and-comers.
What's the album about? Raw.
It's just raw.
It ain't nothing to smile about.
That's why I'm not smiling.
Really? When you hear the songs, you're not gonna smile at 'em.
- Why? - If I rap about I'm-a shoot somebody, I'm not gonna shoot 'em with a little gun, I'm gonna shoot 'em with something like a AK-47.
But that isn't something you really do, is it? - I've shot at people before, yeah.
- You have? - Yeah.
- Really? Yeah.
Yeah.
And yet you seem like such an easy-going guy, you know.
So you have guns, then, that you Aren't you then running the risk that you'll wind up in prison or get shot yourself? Yeah.
I'm not worried.
I went to jail a couple of times before.
- Really? - Yeah.
Jail don't scare me.
- Like being shot doesn't.
- Really? If I get shot, it was meant for me to get shot, I guess.
If it happen, then it happen, but I'm not worrying about it.
It don't make me no difference.
How are you getting on, Sean? Almost finished.
Almost done.
- Where's my customer? - Can I? 0h, yes! - Yes? Yes? - Look at that! We've got the wine, we've got the women, the cat.
The cat's now become kind of a James Bond villain motif.
Yes, he's overtaking your villain-ness.
You've managed to take my elements, which were kind of supposed to be sort of cuddly and sort of gentle, and turn them into a sort of Mafia don figure, haven't you? Yes.
A cat-loving gangster is what you are.
Right, exactly.
In all seriousness, that's just what the market demands? It's what works.
It's what works out here.
Thank you so much.
The Rap Chronicle continues! Despite all my best efforts, I felt I'd been manipulated into a tough image that Just wasn't me.
I needed advice from the top.
I'd heard that the South's most successful gangsta rapper was giving a press conference in town to launch his own telecommunications company.
Y'all don't wanna step to this, huh, what Y'all don't wanna step to this Ghetto-born Master P has made $361,000,000 through his own rap label, No Limit.
I'd heard he runs his expanding empire like a private army, treating staff like his personal platoon of soldiers.
I'd been told that a local rap DJ might be able to help with an introduction.
- I'm looking for Wild Wayne.
- That's Wild Wayne.
- Are you Wild Wayne? - I would be Wild Wayne.
- I'm Louis.
How do you do? - This is the infamous Louis? The BBC? - Yeah, BBC 2.
- Come on, man! - Can you maybe introduce me after the event? - You wanna meet P? Yeah.
I'm hoping to go back to his mansion as well, get a tour of his place.
- It's nice.
Very nice.
- Is it? - I have a great opportunity for you.
- What's that? Well, on my radio show I have this segment called The 90'Clock Props.
- Are you inviting me to rap? - Yeah.
- How are you doing? Are you Suave Bob? - Yes, that's me.
- I'm Louis.
- How are you, Louis? A pleasure to meet you.
You've got a No Limit medallion.
May I take a look? - No problem.
- What does that signify? That signifies that I'm a No Limit chief finance officer.
CF0 of the company, handling accounts payable and receivable.
Most people who wear it are real soldiers for No Limit.
I want to talk to Master P.
Can I just go up and grab him? Where has he gone? That was my chance.
I missed it.
- Wild Wayne.
- Plus the BBC.
Plus the BBC team.
- Plus the BBC team? All right.
- The BBC team? - How do you do? Louis Theroux, BBC 2.
- Come on in.
Come on in.
Hey, yo, check it out, it's your boy! Wild Wayne puttin' it down! My dog right here, Master P, for sure.
Are we all going in the stretch? The press conference was over but I still hadn't spoken to Master P.
Suave Bob told me to wait at a local garage for news of a meeting later that day.
Just when I was on the verge of giving up, word finally came through.
Master P would see me at his home in a suburb of Baton Rouge.
I'd been told he might go by his birth name, Percy.
- How are you doing? - Fine.
And you, sir? Good.
Did Percy Miller, also known as Master P - Yes, sir, he came through.
Ride on by.
- Can we go through? - Yes, sir.
- Thank you very much.
I was wondering what a tough rapper like Master P was doing in this exclusive gated community.
I was curious how this conservative environment tied in with the ghetto life he rapped about.
(Bleeping) Hello? Here comes someone.
- Hey, how's it going? This place is amazing! - Yeah.
- So, we can come in? - Go ahead.
Walk around the side.
- Is this your place? - No, this is P's house.
- Is this Master P's house? - Master P's house.
- This is the house that rap built? - Definitely.
It's the American dream, and we're living it.
We're in it.
You're standing on it.
(Laughs) - And the mansion.
- Is it weird for like, um you know, crême de la crême of like, white bourgeoisie living here, and then basically, someone like Master P, a rapper, comes in.
- Was there any friction there, at all? - At first, yeah.
But then, when they understood and saw that P's a law-abiding, legitimate citizen too, even though he's a rapper.
But P's bigger than a rapper.
He's an entrepreneur.
You know, clothing, film, travel.
- So is he quite popular here now? - Yeah.
(Both) They love him! I'd hoped to find Master P relaxing, but even here he was busy running his empire.
You're gonna have to wait until he's finished this.
But then, finally, Master P agreed to see me.
What? I think I'm right, are you about 30 years old? - Yeah.
- I just turned 30 myself.
- 0K.
- And I just can't imagine what it feels like to have an empire and all these material possessions at such a young age.
And to be, into the bargain, a black man from a difficult background, you know.
May I introduce myself? I'm Louis, Louis Theroux, BBC 2.
- Nice to meet you.
- Pleased to meet you.
And you, of course, are Master P, rap impresario, entrepreneur, and one of the richest men under 40 in America.
Is that right? Something like that.
And you've got gold teeth.
Want to shoot some hoops? Yeah, I'm not very good.
I don't even know why I suggested to do this.
0h, yeah! You horrible! The story right here, with this tank right here.
You gotta be a soldier, and being a soldier, you gotta be able to keep it real.
What does that mean, keeping it real? - Being yourself.
- Being yourself? Some people say keep it real where they gotta be the baddest person in the world, the hardest person in the world.
That ain't keeping it real.
Keeping it real is being real to yourself.
Why do you think it is that it's mostly black people involved in rap? Well, people got to get beyond that, and get beyond that whole racist thing.
I mean, that stuff is over with now, you know.
I don't get caught up in the colour.
I've wondered sometimes whether I could be a rapper, you know.
And then some people find that laughable.
- I find that laughable too.
- Why? - You ain't got what it takes.
- Why? What does it take? - Heart.
- Heart? I'll show you a heart.
Take off your shirt.
We gonna show him our heart.
- You want to know what a heart is? - I know what a heart is.
That's a heart, right there.
- That looks like muscles, not heart.
- There's heart underneath there.
- What is TRU? - Tru.
That's the whole clique together.
That's the whole No Limit family? That's tru.
- Does it stand for anything? - Yeah.
The Real Untouchable.
You can't really tell, just from looking at me, whether I've got heart.
- Yeah, I can.
- Aren't you just trying to hurt my feelings? - No, I think you got heart.
- Yeah.
- You gotta have heart to come out here.
- Why's that? To come way out here to deal with me, you gotta have heart.
- Yeah.
- Most people wouldn't do that.
- Why not? - I don't know.
- Are the neighbours friendly? - I knocked on all of 'em doors and told 'em that I'm here and I'm not going nowhere.
- Did you? Seriously? - Yeah.
That doesn't sound reassuring.
That sounds almost like threatening.
Take it how you want to.
Things weren't going too badly.
Master P offered to give me a tour of his mansion.
- This is the lounge area.
Wow.
- Yeah.
You've got more surveillance monitors here.
How much of it would you say you owe to the rap game? I owe all of it to the rap game.
Who's this on this one, Master P? That's me.
These portraits are all of me.
This my home recording studio.
- I look at this $800,000 chandelier and say - Wow! I made it.
These are your vehicles.
Do you every worry that you'll be perceived as losing your credibility on the streets because you're so comfortable now? Let me tell you.
That's what I'm telling you about being a soldier and keeping it real.
If you came from the ghetto, your main focus should be making it out, taking your parents out, and being something with yourself.
If you can't understand that, then you ain't real.
Final words of advice for me? If I don't want to make it in the rap game, just sort of travel through it? Be yourself and keep it real.
- Yeah.
- It ain't no limit from there.
Yeah.
So, don't make up any stories about seeing murders or coming from the projects? - If that ain't your life.
- Yeah.
And you are interested in maybe hearing a sample tape? If you know how to rap.
You think you can rap? I'm going to go on Wild Wayne's show.
Do you know about Wild Wayne? - Yeah, I'll check you out.
- Will you listen to it? Yeah, I'll listen to you on Wild Wayne.
- 0K.
- All right? - Yeah, thanks a lot.
- All right? - Yeah, excellent.
See you later.
- All right.
I was impressed by Master P's loyalty to his ghetto roots, even though his life was now divorced from the street image he projected.
I knew I had to rap about my own life, but I still wanted help writing my lyrics.
I'd heard that two rappers back in Mississippi, Reese and Bigelow, might be able to help.
I'm supposed to be going on Wild Wayne's radio show, to throw down some lyrics.
And I'm hoping you might be able to help me write some lyrics.
We are lyrics, so this should be no problem.
When you're doing a rap song, do you write your lyrics down? 0r do you make them up off the top of your head? - No, we write them down.
- You write them down.
You want everybody to hear your music, to understand where you're coming from.
So it's best if you sit down and think about it and bring it from the heart.
I mean, what is a good topic for a rap track? What kinds of things do you normally rap about? What kinds of subjects? It really depends on what the track says.
If it's like upbeat tempo, then you be like, "Yeah!" (Louis) 0K, let's do it.
( Hip-hop instrumental) Good track! Look, he's already got something.
He's already got something.
He already over there with the paper.
I gotta make that money, just follow me We gotta make this loop, it's all on me We gotta make this cheese, it's all on me Louis, Reese and Big, doing it with the BBC (Both) Yeah.
- We talking about making money, Louis.
- Making money? That's not a bad start.
Yeah, that's not a bad start.
This guy's good.
- Can I pause it a second? - Sure.
Erm, in the shower this morning, I had a couple of things come to me.
- Can I share them with you? - Sure.
Jiggle, jiggle, I like to see you wiggle It makes me dribble Fancy a fiddle? - Man - We might could use "jiggle, jiggle".
Man! Louis Theroux (Both laugh) In the back of my Fiat, I don't know if you can see it - You know what I mean? - Fiard? What is Fiard? It's a car.
I drive a Fiat.
- See, that's not popular over here.
- You gotta say Benz or a Lex.
Why? You've got to keep it real and I don't drive a Lex.
I drive a Fiat.
True, true, you gotta keep it real, but I don't know if you can see it You know, I've got I like, "If you want a boyfriend, I could be it.
" - You got a little rhyming ability.
- Yeah? Yeah, but we gonna help you out a whole lot.
Gotta make this money, it's all on me We gotta get this cheese, that's all we need Riding in my Fiat, looking for a bi-atch Ah haa! I don't think I could say "bi-atch".
( Backing track playing) Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it (Laughter) We want to do more.
That's good! That is good stuff.
My money don't jiggle-jiggle, it folds I want to see you wiggle-wiggle, for sure When you say it, it actually makes you feel kind of tough saying it.
I mean, rap is like an extension of reality.
When you say, "My money don't jiggle, it folds," they gonna know what you talking about.
There's not gonna be any doubt in their mind, they gonna know you don't have quarters and dimes.
You have dollars, hundreds, whatever you have.
But whatever you have, it folds.
0h, no! I quite like "0h, no!" You gonna be crushed up in that compact, Louis.
Yeah, the seats go back, though.
Maybe that's something to say.
Six feet two, the seats go back Yeah, it's a compact.
Hey, Louis, see! Being true to yourself.
"Luckily the seats go back!" - That's not working.
- I'll put that in there.
Pause.
I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go back You've almost caught it! I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go - Recliner, a vagina.
- Louis! - You can't say vagina here on the radio.
- Can you not? I've crashed it quite a few times.
Maybe I like red wine.
I've got some you know I like relaxing.
0K Got the knack to sip on some red, red wine.
- Got the knack.
Do you know the song, Red, Red Wine? You remember that? I could go into that.
Red, red wi-i-i-ine I'd like some cheese with that wine Yes, please No? Nothing there? I gotta knack to relax, In my mind I'm feelin' fine And I'm sippin' some red, red wine (Laughter) Hey, man! Sounds good.
Do you think Wild Wayne's gonna like it? He'll love it, man.
You know, you asked us, could you come and could you rap? You rap.
- Yep.
- Hey, man, much love.
- Yes.
See you later.
- See you later, Louis.
It's gonna be a success.
You know what I'm saying? Get your lyrics right, get your lyrics squared away, practise.
- Stay out of the rain, Louis.
- See you later.
Driving in your Fiat.
Despite all the encouragement, I wasn't sure how my rap would go down on the streets of New Orleans later that evening.
I was feeling rather nervous about performing live on Wild Wayne's show.
- Louis! - Wild Wayne.
- How the hell are you? - Good, how are you doing? - You been all right? - Not too bad.
- Very good, very good.
- You're shouting.
That's what I do when I work.
I got headphones on.
My man Louis is up here from the BBC radio.
- Hello.
- Yeah, you can say hello.
- Hello, everyone.
Hello, New 0rleans.
- No, get closer to the mic, man.
Hello, New 0rleans.
Louis Theroux from the BBC here.
He's been rollin' around the South.
Yeah, meeting Master P, some of the other rap people.
- Even went to his mansion, I heard.
- We shot some hoops at Master P's mansion.
I asked him if he would sign me.
He said he would think about it.
- Sign to No Limit Records? - Yes.
Get outta here! We're gonna put him on, so one of you guys out there will kinda be going head-to-head with old Louis.
It's not against professionals.
They're just other listeners.
So probably the standard isn't going to be too intimidating.
It'll be pretty intimidating, cos they have some really good amateurs out there.
Your number-one station, nothing but the jams, Q93! - Are we off now? - Yes, we are off.
Do rappers ever feel obliged to live the fast life because that's what they're rapping about? So that they can, uh What do they say? Life imitating art? I think that some of them do, man, cos you want to live up to that image you've created.
Even if they don't really want to.
Lot of pressure.
I wouldn't want to be a rapper.
The 9 Props are comin'! It's gonna be Louis! Versus the YTs! (Men on Jingle) Let's get ready to rumblel All right, we about to do this like you never knew this.
You guys give us a call on 2609393 and vote for your favourite rapper.
Will it be Louis? 0r will it be the YTs? Check the flavour as we go.
A little something like this.
I say, hey, you all, what's the name? You're on the radio with your boy, Wild Wayne! (Female rapper on phone, indistinct) (Mouths) All right, that was rapper number one! Rapper number two, my in-house guest all the way from London, the BBC, is Louis.
And we about to do this and we go a little something like this.
I gotta make this money, it's all on me - We gotta get this cheese, it's all we need - Louis! Louis! Louis, Louis, you're supposed to let me do my part first.
0h, sorry.
He's into this, he's into this! But that's good.
I gotta do my part! Are you ready? You just said it would go something like this.
Just listen.
Here we go, here we go.
I said a-hey, you all, what's your name? You're on the radio with your boy, Wild Wayne! Gotta (Laughing) With your boy, Wild Wayne! I gotta make this money, it's all on me We gotta get this cheese, it's all we need I gotta make this money, it's all on me Louis, Reese and Big, and the BBC My money doesn't jiggle-jiggle, it folds I wanna see you wiggle-wiggle, for sure It makes me wanna dribble-dribble, you know Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go back I got a knack to relax in my mind I'm feeling fine and I'm sipping some red (Both) red wine Louis, you did it, you did it! All right, I gotta do my part.
I said, Louis in the house And that London sound is out Big Louis in the house And that London crew's turning out That was the 90'Clock Props tonight.
- You guys call me, 2609393.
- Yeah, let's hear from the people.
- Vote for Louis or the YTs.
- The YTs were good, though.
- We're gonna see how good they were.
- Excellent.
- That was fun.
- We gotta get some callers.
- Yeah, hello! - (Girl) Wayne? - Yeah.
- Your boy was wrong.
Louis, he was wrong.
- Louis was wrong? - Yeah, he was wrong.
Hold on, all right? - What does that mean, "Wrong"? - She didn't like your rap.
- But wrong about what? - Hold on.
- (Girl) I wanna vote for the first one.
- You want to vote for rapper one? - Yes.
Number one.
- 0K, hold on.
- (Girl) I'm voting for number two.
- For Louis! Whoo-hoo! Good choice! - Who you voting for? - (Girl) Number two.
He was tight.
- It was what? - It was tight.
That means good.
Yeah, yeah, that's excellent.
- You voting for number one? - Wait, I was number two.
- (Girl) Nol - I was number two, not number one.
No, I liked number one better.
You didn't like Louis? I wanna see you jiggle-jiggle Come on, what are you talking about? All right, I'll vote for number two.
Hold on, I'm gonna put you live on the radio.
Is that all right? - (Girl) Yes.
- Who you gonna vote for? - Number two.
- Yes! Hold on, here we go.
Q93, it's your boy, Wild Wayne! Now is the moment everybody's been waiting for.
And especially you, I know, Louis.
Ah, like I always say, somebody's gotta win somebody's gotta lose on the 90'Clock Props.
The winner tonight Landslide.
Louis? Wow, it's a landslide.
- Louis! The winner! - (Cheering and applause) I'd done it.
Whether it was the novelty factor of being from London, or pure rhyming ability, or Just because I'd kept it real, I'd won the approval of the streets of New Orleans.
My time in the Dirty South was nearly over.
But there was one rapper I was still intrigued by, the self-styled international gangsta pimp, Mellow T.
I decided to pay him a final visit, but when I arrived, he wasn't alone.
- Hi, how are you doing? - This is Sunshine.
- Nice to meet you.
- Are you Sunshine? I'm Louis.
- This is Fantasy.
Couple of my girls.
- Hi, Fantasy.
How are you doing? And, erm So are you having a rehearsal? I mean, what is happening? This is odd, isn't it? What about you, Sunshine? Is the idea that you're going to go full-time rapping, and basically get yourself out of your go totally straight? Yes, go totally legit.
- Yeah.
- Get married.
- Who are you going to marry? - My baby over there.
My daddy.
The number one, my king, my saviour.
My Jesus Christ.
So when is your album coming out? - Next year.
- And what's it called? - Sunshine, The Boss Bitch.
- Yeah.
Well, would it be all right to see her do something in here, do a rap in here? - No, you still in development stage.
- Yeah.
You know, I got a real slick style for her that she bring.
Have you done any raps with her at all? Uh, yeah, for sure.
I was beginning to doubt just how serious Mellow was about using rap as a way out of pimping.
(Gunshots) Be careful.
I don't think you should put it down there.
- That's where I keep it.
- It could go off, though.
Nah, it ain't gonna go off.
I been doing it since 11 years old.
Yeah.
You could shoot your testicles off, basically.
No, man, that's where I keep it.
I believe in coercive power.
That's fear.
Sometimes, man, that's the best understanding in the world.
When a woman got a pistol at her head, she seem to listen better.
- That's quite shocking.
- Not really.
Not to me.
Everybody fascinated with the bad guy.
Everybody want to know how it is to be a pimp, to be a gangsta.
You know what I'm saying? Couldn't you just go ahead and rap about being a pimp and not actually be a pimp? No, no, it wouldn't work for me.
You understand what I'm saying? - Why? - It's like me rapping about building computers.
You feel what I'm saying? It ain't what I do, you know.
But I break a ho It's just, I thought it was like wrestling, where they are quite strong but you're basically pretending to fight, you're portraying a character.
Do you know what I mean? Not me.
The character is real.
You understand what I mean? This character who I am might get me killed, for real.
Straight up.
And that's what's so real about my life.
- That's got to be a bad thing.
- No, it ain't no bad thing.
Nothing bad about dying, man, you understand? Especially for the cause.
You feel me? Straight up.
I wanna be a hero, man.
I want to be like the rest of them, like Jesse James and Billy the Kid, you understand me? Huh! Ha.
Uh.
(Barks) If you put so much emphasis on rap being about reality, then in a way it becomes like, in order to rap, you have to be a gangster, which contributes to the lifestyle.
If you want me to stop rapping about crack and selling drugs, then get the drugs off the street, get the guns off the street, you understand what I'm saying? That's the reality of it.
I didn't choose this lifestyle, it chose me.
My 16-year-old brother got killed last year.
You feel what I'm saying? - Did he really? - No doubt.
In a dice gang.
He turned his back and a dude shot him twice in the head.
- What was his name? - His name was Keeno.
- Well, it's been an education.
- No doubt.
Good to see you, Louis.
Yeah.
Next time I see you, you'll be totally legitimate.
- Most definitely.
Most definitely.
- I hope so.
- See you later.
- You have a good one, Louis.
I wasn't convinced Mellow T would ever go legit.
Like the other rappers I'd met, he was infatuated with the glamour and tragedy of gangster life.
But he'd chosen to live the character for real, and for me, that didn't make him a better rapper.
So can we kind of like walk around and rap about things we just happen to see? - Yeah.
- There's a man, delivering the mail With legs like that, you know he'll never fail There's a guy, he's riding on a bike We should go and put him on the mic When I'm in the Hummer I'm gonna cause some drama You Watch out for your karma You'll You know what I mean? It's London all right, it's a letter to a friend - 0h, damn it! - You gotta get it.
Come on, now! I like a pair of tits, without being rude I like a pair of tits, I don't wanna be crude A nice pair of tits, if they're big or they're small I like a nice pair of tits, doing it all A nice pair of tits, I can see 'em in the 0h, I can't do "tits".
It's too rude.
Also some carrots, for health reasons I'd also like to top it off with some raisins 0r what about, uh, a little duck and potatoes? Hogmogs and chickens and, um, alligator? (Laughing) 0r how about some frog's legs or maybe frog spawn? I'd sprinkle it all over my - I can't.
No, it's - Over your corn! - Over my corn! - There you go! (Laughs)
I'm actually just making stuff up.
Is that allowed? I mean, I didn't see a frog or a toad.
New Orleans, Louisiana.
I'd heard about an extreme form of gangsta rap that claimed to mirror violent ghetto life, here in America's so-called Dirty South.
My mission - to make it as the first white, middle-class gangsta rapper.
How're you doing? First stop, a rap label called Forefront Entertainment.
They specialise in hardcore.
I wasn't sure what that meant.
My contact, one Q-T-Pie.
I smell something that smells like fish Niggaz wanna bitch Ho's wanna snitch Play this shit raw, get your wig split Niggaz, grab yo dick Bitches, pussy whip Test, test, test, test.
Are you Q-T-Pie? - Yeah, I'm Q-T-Pie.
How're you doing? - I'm Louis, from the BBC.
- How are you doing? - 0h, yeah, how're you doing? - I'm in the middle of recording.
- It's sounding good, actually.
Give you a ghettorectomy, pull yo balls out through yo throat Have you sucking on yo own dick like Lewinsky on the Clinton loveboat I can't believe you tried to play me like that Now you sweatin' like you in a sauna on the beaches of Daytona Test, test.
Did you say you were going to give someone a ghettorectomy? What is that? Yeah, I'm gonna give 'em a ghettorectomy, pull their balls out through their throat, have 'em sucking on their own dick, like Lewinsky on the Clinton loveboat.
- Yeah.
- That's me getting revenge.
Quite gruff.
Isn't that tough on your vocal cords? 0h, no, I'm used to it.
You know, the rapping part, I've been doing it since I was about 13, 14, something like that.
I'm hoping to maybe learn a bit about rap, get involved a little bit.
- I like some rap, you know.
- 0h.
Is that something you could teach me a bit about? Come here.
You have to come right here.
Whoa.
That might be too much.
- Right now? - Right! Grab your nuts while you're singing, Louis.
(Both) I smell something that smells like fish - I smell something - No.
I smell something that smells like fish - That's what I was just doing.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no! - I smell some What was wrong with that? - Hold up! - 0K, you give me a run through.
- Louis, you're killin' me.
I smell something that smells like fish Melon farmers wanna bitch, ho's wanna snitch Play that shit raw, get your wig split Fellas, grab yo dick, bitches pussy whip (Laughter) If you think I'm not doing that well, just let me know.
All right, I'm gonna let you know.
I don't have my shoes on, Louis, so - I record without shoes.
- 0K.
Do you? Yeah.
Let me put my shoes on, Louis.
I'm coming.
(Louis) Take your time.
If someone said to you, "That's good but it's going to sell a lot more if you go a bit softer" - No, that can't - Yes or no? No, that can't happen, cos if I rap sounding like "My name is Q-T" No.
- That's not me.
- That sounded pretty good.
Nah! (Gruffly) My name is Q-T-Pie! No, that's me.
You see what I'm saying? (Sweetly) My name is Q-T and I No.
That's whack.
(Louis) How are you doing? (Q-T-Pie) Hey, y'all! - Hey! - How are you doing? - You're Sparky.
- Yeah, how you doing? The man Sparky.
You were talking into my earphones.
- Right, right, right.
- I'm Louis.
- Yeah, you did pretty good.
- Thank you.
- I had to do this for him.
- Louis did good.
- Quite hardcore.
- Yeah, well, that's life.
- That's life, you know.
- At Forefront Entertainment? - Pretty much.
- Do you do gangsta rap at all? Yeah, I mean, pretty much everything we do is gangsta rap.
Cos when you say gangsta rap, you think like, high crime areas, violent background.
But you, Sparky and Q-T-Pie seem very well spoken.
What are your backgrounds like? College? - Four years.
- Four years at college? Yeah, yeah, so - Did you go to college, Q-T-Pie? - Yeah, four years of college.
You know, graduated and got the degree, the whole shindig.
But I'm just saying, my middle class and your middle class, totally different.
Forefront aren't Just about hardcore gangsta rap.
They also produce hardcore gangsta porn films.
Q- T-Pie took me to company director Kim.
- How are you doing? - How are you? Good.
How are you doing, Kim? Forefront Entertainment, it's an exciting project.
Porn and sex and the whole thing has always been a part of hip hop culture.
- Really? - Yeah, it's always been there.
Do you use your rappers in the porn films? And do the porn stars rap as well? For example, The Vicious Pussycat is a movie that we're working on.
She's starring in the movie but with the sex scenes we'll have our porn, our people that do porn come in and perform.
Really? If you're the main character, though, won't people be expecting to see you in the hardcore scenes? You're gonna have to see the movie! If they expect that, they expect that, but I'm not telling you how far I'm going, Louis! After you.
Are these some of your movies? Forefront movies? These are our movies that we've done over the years.
Hot Black Southern Freaks.
- Black & Wild, Generation Triple X.
- Mm-hm.
- And Platinum Pussies.
- Platinum Pussies.
- They're all black themed, aren't they? - Right.
That's what Because there is such a shortage of black adult entertainment films.
We know what we wanna see.
"Hot new ebony honeys from all over the US, doing the nasty stuff like the pros.
" - (Q-T-Pie) The nasty stuff! - It's called Keeping It Real.
This is where we do some of the editing, as well.
- Yes.
How are you doing? What's your name? - Hi.
How you doin'? - Dick McGee.
- Dick McGee.
Louis.
- Nice to meet you.
- Dick McGee writes the scripts for the movies.
- Is that you? - Yeah, that's me.
This is the new movie.
It's a funny combination, isn't it, doing rap and porn? - It's a unique combination.
- It's something that's never been done before.
This is the first time that it's actually been combined.
You're making what you would like to see.
Yeah, just like the music.
Nothing is watered down or whatever.
Who's that on there, right now? 0h, that's Cupcake.
That's Cupcake and that's Snake.
Say, you gonna roll with us? I'm gonna take Louis to rehearsal.
Q- T-Pie was off to Join Forefront's porn stars at a run-through for her new movie, Vicious Pussycat.
The film ties in with the release of her album of the same name.
(Woman) What the fuck's going on? You told me it was just supposed to be a robbery and that was it.
This some personal shit, I really can't get into it right now.
- What's going on? - Boom! Sparky, what's happening in this scene? Simone and Lex had It was kind of like they set up a hit.
- Who's Simone? - Simone is Satin.
- Satin, how do you do? Louis.
- Hi.
- Pleased to meet you.
That was looking good.
- Thank you.
- Is that a real gun? - Yeah, it's real.
Wow.
Make sure there's no bullets in it.
Yeah, no bullets.
- And Satin plays, erm - Simone.
Simone, who is Q-T-Pie's sidekick.
Exactly, and they're kinda like in a relationship together.
She's gonna actually kill her friend in this scene.
Hello? Sparky, why did Satin just take her top off? 0h, we're just rehearsing this part, just to make it look natural.
- Like she would be at home.
- And a bit sexy? - Yeah, that too.
- That doesn't hurt.
- No, it doesn't hurt.
- It doesn't hurt.
I'd enjoyed my time with Q-T-Pie.
But I was getting the impression that gangsta rap was more about playing at being tough.
- Bitch! - What the fuck you gonna do? So far, so good.
But now I wanted to meet the real thing.
I had a lead in Jackson, Mississippi, about a gangster who was turning his back on crime in order to pursue a rap career.
Yeah, you can get out, mind.
- How are you doing? You must be Mellow T.
- No doubt.
- I'm Louis.
Louis Theroux.
- I heard a lot about you.
- Good.
- A lot about you.
- You're looking very, very smart.
- This is just Mellow style, you know.
This is, like, worldwide international godfather gangsta pimp style.
- Yeah, yeah.
- That's what I'm bringing you.
Is this your residence here? This is one of the residences I got for one of my groups.
This is nice.
It's quite dark in here, isn't it? Yeah, they like it that way.
- What is this? - It's the work-out area.
They either work out here or they work out in the prison.
- You feel? - Yeah.
- Who's this gentleman right here? - This is Big D.
- Big D.
How do you do? Louis.
- How you doin'? You know, me and this man right here I'm in the music business, but one of my number-one economic contributors has always been the pimp business.
You know what I'm saying? The scripple business, the prostitution business, that's been my business for the last three, four years.
- That's stuff you do, now? - Right.
Right, but it's the money.
It's the money behind my music.
It's the money that finances the studio, that finances the music business.
Cos in Britain, to be a pimp would be considered definitely - Illegal? Just like being a drug dealer? - Illegal, and maybe immoral.
Immoral.
Same thing here.
It's the same thing here.
It's the same thing.
Even stronger here.
Because, see, Mississippi's known as the Bible Belt state.
- So it's a bad thing to do? - Yeah, no doubt.
For sure.
And you can go to the penitentiary for doing it.
And you can get killed for doing it.
Mellow had a session booked with his producer, Derek.
He invited me to tag along.
One thing that's interesting about Mellow is that he's not just rapping about it, he's living it.
He's a real pimp.
He uses it to get himself out of a situation, and at the same time to bring a certain story, or the reality of what it's about, because you've got a lot of people that's talking about pimping and gangsta things.
They've never pimped, never sold drugs, they don't know what it's about.
Studio gangsters.
Mellow had invited me to rap with him.
This would be my debut performance, so I was a little bit nervous.
This is a song that I'm gonna be doing on my new album.
- Really? - I just don't want to be it no more.
You know what I'm sayin'? I don't want to be this no more.
( Drums playing) Is this baller? This goes out to all the young folks.
You know what I'm saying.
Young kiddies, thinking you want to get into these gangs.
True testimony, that's where I want to be, man You came from London just to hear my story I'm in the hood, within us be the glory Now I'm a pimp and I gots to break the ho, man Didn't get no education, but that's the way I make my dough, man Now, Louis, I'm in this shit, trying to be good I'm on my way, they say, to Hollywood I be pimping all night long, trying to make my paper If my bitch come in short, I got to break her This game's real, man I ain't no lie Just from the top of my head, man, every night I could die, damn People in London, when they see this tape They see stories of toughness and rape And ugliness and damage and plain miscarriages of justice I must guess that 0h, I lost it.
I lost it.
0K.
What are the things that living on the streets do to you? Maybe you shouldn't be a baller any more Maybe it's time to get away from wealth and start being poor Don't want to be a baller no more I hate to say it, but Louis, I'm about to go Now, I'll always be your G But I can't let these streets get the best of me I feel you, Louis.
Feel where you're coming from, man.
Straight out, you understand? - Yes.
Thank you.
- I feel where you're coming from.
I know what you're speaking upon, you know? - We both want out this thing.
- Yes, well, I'm not actually in it.
(Laughter) Mellow T with the BBC, coming to a store near you, you feel what I'm saying? Hopefully, in four or five more months, my music'll be so far off the ground, and, you know, I wouldn't have to be associated with that lifestyle no more.
But right now, I'm still in it.
Yeah, so you actually want to make a legitimate business out of the rapping, and leave pimping and prostitution behind you.
- For sure.
No doubt.
- Really? All this used to be crack houses, you know, we used to roll over here.
I'm gonna take you a couple of neighbourhoods, gonna get out, meet some of the people.
We all the same, you understand what I'm saying? What we write about is where we from.
- Which is where? - I mean the hood.
- Are we in the hood now? Definitely? - Right.
- Definitely.
It's part of it right here.
- You're in the heart of it! - Really? - Yes, sir.
I mean, we gotta keep moving, man.
I just wanted to check my boys here.
You were talking about credibility, right? This is where the stories come from that you rap about? Most definite.
Everybody around here got a story to tell.
(Louis) Yeah.
Hey, we gonna keep moving.
Don't want to mess up nobody's spot, man.
That seemed to get a little bit edgy towards the end there.
Yeah, you know, cos like right now, they working.
- What are they doing? - Selling drugs.
- That's why we had to keep moving.
- Why? Cos we messing up they business.
People ain't gonna stop when they see cameras.
They think we police camera people or something.
I thought they were rappers, mainly.
No? You don't be just a rapper here, you know.
Well, you see, I may be interested in getting a little bit involved in rap myself, but I don't have that kind of a background.
Well, you know, what I came to realise, man, every individual got something to say, you know what I'm saying? This is like, your lifestyle.
Me and you being from two different lifestyles, your lifestyle might interest me.
I might hear you rap about London and things that go on there, and I'm saying it's just your culture, whatever your culture be.
Hanging out with Mellow, I was beginning to feel maybe I couldn't get away with posing as a gangsta rapper myself.
So I was pleased he was interested in hearing about my life in London.
- Thank you very much.
- Appreciated, man.
For sure.
All right, Louis.
Have a good trip.
(Mellow T) That was lovely.
Still, I felt I needed more help before I rapped about my own experiences.
I'd come to Houston to meet the hottest image makers behind the rap scene, Pen and Pixel.
I had an appointment with their top designer, Sean Brock.
- Are you Sean? - Yes, I am.
I'm Louis.
Pleased to meet you.
I'll start with a tour.
How does that sound? This piece that you're looking at here, he's shooting a.
45 calibre slug out of the gun.
At you.
And the victim's face is reflected in the bullet before it hits him.
0h, that's your face? So you're being shot by What's his name? - Exactly.
He's in jail right now.
- He's in jail now? For what? - Shooting someone? - I think it was shooting someone.
And his manager died last year.
He's in jail now, and he'll be there for the next 25 years.
This guy's in jail.
He's in and out of jail like crazy.
When he makes money, he comes back, spends it here and then goes back to jail.
He's in jail, for shooting a police officer through the door.
These people are back in jail.
Mass 187.
This whole gang was indicted on, uh, torture-murder of a young lady.
They taped her to a chair and set her on fire.
All of them are in jail for life.
For someone from Britain it's shocking to see how much death and legal problems there is in these artists' lives.
(Sean) Right.
Do you feel any responsibility, inasmuch as these pictures do glamorise that? A little bit, yes, I do.
My major concern for my clients is to make sure that it sells.
That's what I'm here for.
I make sure that the stuff sells.
Is there anything on the walls that tickles your fancy? It's kind of grim and sombre.
I want to go for something a bit realer, more to do with me.
We'll start the sketching process up and we'll see what we can do.
0K? - All right, what are you trying to promote? - Me as a rap artist.
- What kind of rap? Is it gangsta rap? Soft? - It's going to be something a little softer.
Yeah, a little bit more about having fun, and being, not someone you want to mess around with, because you might come unglued, but someone who looks after himself.
What's the name of your promotional piece? What do you want to call it? - You want to call it MC Louis? Ice Louis? - MC Louis, do you think? I mean, that sounds a little lame, doesn't it? - We're just brainstorming, aren't we? - Sure.
Absolutely.
- Louis Lou.
- Louis Lou? I don't know if it's hard enough.
I think you've got to be concerned with being harder.
- Is there any way I could be Louis Theroux? - I don't think you'd make it in this game.
You have to have something that sticks.
You have to have something that's monumental when you walk out on stage.
- How do you mean? - Where would your danger come from? Are you connected to the IRA? Are you connected to the British Mob? Are you? Where's your danger? I would call the police and say, "Get out of my house,"or whatever.
0r"Leave me alone.
"I'll get a restraining order.
" - 0K.
We're gonna keep away from that item.
- Why? We're not going to be able to project that with enough force.
How about this? Maybe I'm not that dangerous.
I would shoot more for television.
The television element is something we could work with.
Maybe some multiple televisions behind you.
But also the microphone to indicate this is what I'm doing.
- Exactly.
- I enjoy glasses of red wine.
0h, I have a nice computer.
I wear glasses.
Little bit of a trademark.
Cats.
I like cats.
Stroking a cat.
Tickling a cat.
Scratching its ears.
That's nice.
I notice you're steering me towards something a little harder.
Why? That's the demographic that's gonna buy the stuff.
White, 14-year-old girls at the mall, spending their $40 every weekend on rap music to piss off Mom and Dad.
That's who's making these men millionaires.
- Am I gonna have much in the way of props? - No.
Nothing.
- Totally computer generated.
- Completely computer generated.
- Pure fakery.
- Correct.
I'd like to do maybe some jolly ones.
- Something like this.
- That's not gonna sell in the States.
There you go.
That's what I'm looking for, right there.
That's it, right there.
I'd like to meet some other clients, some people who are getting their photo taken, some up-and-comers.
What's the album about? Raw.
It's just raw.
It ain't nothing to smile about.
That's why I'm not smiling.
Really? When you hear the songs, you're not gonna smile at 'em.
- Why? - If I rap about I'm-a shoot somebody, I'm not gonna shoot 'em with a little gun, I'm gonna shoot 'em with something like a AK-47.
But that isn't something you really do, is it? - I've shot at people before, yeah.
- You have? - Yeah.
- Really? Yeah.
Yeah.
And yet you seem like such an easy-going guy, you know.
So you have guns, then, that you Aren't you then running the risk that you'll wind up in prison or get shot yourself? Yeah.
I'm not worried.
I went to jail a couple of times before.
- Really? - Yeah.
Jail don't scare me.
- Like being shot doesn't.
- Really? If I get shot, it was meant for me to get shot, I guess.
If it happen, then it happen, but I'm not worrying about it.
It don't make me no difference.
How are you getting on, Sean? Almost finished.
Almost done.
- Where's my customer? - Can I? 0h, yes! - Yes? Yes? - Look at that! We've got the wine, we've got the women, the cat.
The cat's now become kind of a James Bond villain motif.
Yes, he's overtaking your villain-ness.
You've managed to take my elements, which were kind of supposed to be sort of cuddly and sort of gentle, and turn them into a sort of Mafia don figure, haven't you? Yes.
A cat-loving gangster is what you are.
Right, exactly.
In all seriousness, that's just what the market demands? It's what works.
It's what works out here.
Thank you so much.
The Rap Chronicle continues! Despite all my best efforts, I felt I'd been manipulated into a tough image that Just wasn't me.
I needed advice from the top.
I'd heard that the South's most successful gangsta rapper was giving a press conference in town to launch his own telecommunications company.
Y'all don't wanna step to this, huh, what Y'all don't wanna step to this Ghetto-born Master P has made $361,000,000 through his own rap label, No Limit.
I'd heard he runs his expanding empire like a private army, treating staff like his personal platoon of soldiers.
I'd been told that a local rap DJ might be able to help with an introduction.
- I'm looking for Wild Wayne.
- That's Wild Wayne.
- Are you Wild Wayne? - I would be Wild Wayne.
- I'm Louis.
How do you do? - This is the infamous Louis? The BBC? - Yeah, BBC 2.
- Come on, man! - Can you maybe introduce me after the event? - You wanna meet P? Yeah.
I'm hoping to go back to his mansion as well, get a tour of his place.
- It's nice.
Very nice.
- Is it? - I have a great opportunity for you.
- What's that? Well, on my radio show I have this segment called The 90'Clock Props.
- Are you inviting me to rap? - Yeah.
- How are you doing? Are you Suave Bob? - Yes, that's me.
- I'm Louis.
- How are you, Louis? A pleasure to meet you.
You've got a No Limit medallion.
May I take a look? - No problem.
- What does that signify? That signifies that I'm a No Limit chief finance officer.
CF0 of the company, handling accounts payable and receivable.
Most people who wear it are real soldiers for No Limit.
I want to talk to Master P.
Can I just go up and grab him? Where has he gone? That was my chance.
I missed it.
- Wild Wayne.
- Plus the BBC.
Plus the BBC team.
- Plus the BBC team? All right.
- The BBC team? - How do you do? Louis Theroux, BBC 2.
- Come on in.
Come on in.
Hey, yo, check it out, it's your boy! Wild Wayne puttin' it down! My dog right here, Master P, for sure.
Are we all going in the stretch? The press conference was over but I still hadn't spoken to Master P.
Suave Bob told me to wait at a local garage for news of a meeting later that day.
Just when I was on the verge of giving up, word finally came through.
Master P would see me at his home in a suburb of Baton Rouge.
I'd been told he might go by his birth name, Percy.
- How are you doing? - Fine.
And you, sir? Good.
Did Percy Miller, also known as Master P - Yes, sir, he came through.
Ride on by.
- Can we go through? - Yes, sir.
- Thank you very much.
I was wondering what a tough rapper like Master P was doing in this exclusive gated community.
I was curious how this conservative environment tied in with the ghetto life he rapped about.
(Bleeping) Hello? Here comes someone.
- Hey, how's it going? This place is amazing! - Yeah.
- So, we can come in? - Go ahead.
Walk around the side.
- Is this your place? - No, this is P's house.
- Is this Master P's house? - Master P's house.
- This is the house that rap built? - Definitely.
It's the American dream, and we're living it.
We're in it.
You're standing on it.
(Laughs) - And the mansion.
- Is it weird for like, um you know, crême de la crême of like, white bourgeoisie living here, and then basically, someone like Master P, a rapper, comes in.
- Was there any friction there, at all? - At first, yeah.
But then, when they understood and saw that P's a law-abiding, legitimate citizen too, even though he's a rapper.
But P's bigger than a rapper.
He's an entrepreneur.
You know, clothing, film, travel.
- So is he quite popular here now? - Yeah.
(Both) They love him! I'd hoped to find Master P relaxing, but even here he was busy running his empire.
You're gonna have to wait until he's finished this.
But then, finally, Master P agreed to see me.
What? I think I'm right, are you about 30 years old? - Yeah.
- I just turned 30 myself.
- 0K.
- And I just can't imagine what it feels like to have an empire and all these material possessions at such a young age.
And to be, into the bargain, a black man from a difficult background, you know.
May I introduce myself? I'm Louis, Louis Theroux, BBC 2.
- Nice to meet you.
- Pleased to meet you.
And you, of course, are Master P, rap impresario, entrepreneur, and one of the richest men under 40 in America.
Is that right? Something like that.
And you've got gold teeth.
Want to shoot some hoops? Yeah, I'm not very good.
I don't even know why I suggested to do this.
0h, yeah! You horrible! The story right here, with this tank right here.
You gotta be a soldier, and being a soldier, you gotta be able to keep it real.
What does that mean, keeping it real? - Being yourself.
- Being yourself? Some people say keep it real where they gotta be the baddest person in the world, the hardest person in the world.
That ain't keeping it real.
Keeping it real is being real to yourself.
Why do you think it is that it's mostly black people involved in rap? Well, people got to get beyond that, and get beyond that whole racist thing.
I mean, that stuff is over with now, you know.
I don't get caught up in the colour.
I've wondered sometimes whether I could be a rapper, you know.
And then some people find that laughable.
- I find that laughable too.
- Why? - You ain't got what it takes.
- Why? What does it take? - Heart.
- Heart? I'll show you a heart.
Take off your shirt.
We gonna show him our heart.
- You want to know what a heart is? - I know what a heart is.
That's a heart, right there.
- That looks like muscles, not heart.
- There's heart underneath there.
- What is TRU? - Tru.
That's the whole clique together.
That's the whole No Limit family? That's tru.
- Does it stand for anything? - Yeah.
The Real Untouchable.
You can't really tell, just from looking at me, whether I've got heart.
- Yeah, I can.
- Aren't you just trying to hurt my feelings? - No, I think you got heart.
- Yeah.
- You gotta have heart to come out here.
- Why's that? To come way out here to deal with me, you gotta have heart.
- Yeah.
- Most people wouldn't do that.
- Why not? - I don't know.
- Are the neighbours friendly? - I knocked on all of 'em doors and told 'em that I'm here and I'm not going nowhere.
- Did you? Seriously? - Yeah.
That doesn't sound reassuring.
That sounds almost like threatening.
Take it how you want to.
Things weren't going too badly.
Master P offered to give me a tour of his mansion.
- This is the lounge area.
Wow.
- Yeah.
You've got more surveillance monitors here.
How much of it would you say you owe to the rap game? I owe all of it to the rap game.
Who's this on this one, Master P? That's me.
These portraits are all of me.
This my home recording studio.
- I look at this $800,000 chandelier and say - Wow! I made it.
These are your vehicles.
Do you every worry that you'll be perceived as losing your credibility on the streets because you're so comfortable now? Let me tell you.
That's what I'm telling you about being a soldier and keeping it real.
If you came from the ghetto, your main focus should be making it out, taking your parents out, and being something with yourself.
If you can't understand that, then you ain't real.
Final words of advice for me? If I don't want to make it in the rap game, just sort of travel through it? Be yourself and keep it real.
- Yeah.
- It ain't no limit from there.
Yeah.
So, don't make up any stories about seeing murders or coming from the projects? - If that ain't your life.
- Yeah.
And you are interested in maybe hearing a sample tape? If you know how to rap.
You think you can rap? I'm going to go on Wild Wayne's show.
Do you know about Wild Wayne? - Yeah, I'll check you out.
- Will you listen to it? Yeah, I'll listen to you on Wild Wayne.
- 0K.
- All right? - Yeah, thanks a lot.
- All right? - Yeah, excellent.
See you later.
- All right.
I was impressed by Master P's loyalty to his ghetto roots, even though his life was now divorced from the street image he projected.
I knew I had to rap about my own life, but I still wanted help writing my lyrics.
I'd heard that two rappers back in Mississippi, Reese and Bigelow, might be able to help.
I'm supposed to be going on Wild Wayne's radio show, to throw down some lyrics.
And I'm hoping you might be able to help me write some lyrics.
We are lyrics, so this should be no problem.
When you're doing a rap song, do you write your lyrics down? 0r do you make them up off the top of your head? - No, we write them down.
- You write them down.
You want everybody to hear your music, to understand where you're coming from.
So it's best if you sit down and think about it and bring it from the heart.
I mean, what is a good topic for a rap track? What kinds of things do you normally rap about? What kinds of subjects? It really depends on what the track says.
If it's like upbeat tempo, then you be like, "Yeah!" (Louis) 0K, let's do it.
( Hip-hop instrumental) Good track! Look, he's already got something.
He's already got something.
He already over there with the paper.
I gotta make that money, just follow me We gotta make this loop, it's all on me We gotta make this cheese, it's all on me Louis, Reese and Big, doing it with the BBC (Both) Yeah.
- We talking about making money, Louis.
- Making money? That's not a bad start.
Yeah, that's not a bad start.
This guy's good.
- Can I pause it a second? - Sure.
Erm, in the shower this morning, I had a couple of things come to me.
- Can I share them with you? - Sure.
Jiggle, jiggle, I like to see you wiggle It makes me dribble Fancy a fiddle? - Man - We might could use "jiggle, jiggle".
Man! Louis Theroux (Both laugh) In the back of my Fiat, I don't know if you can see it - You know what I mean? - Fiard? What is Fiard? It's a car.
I drive a Fiat.
- See, that's not popular over here.
- You gotta say Benz or a Lex.
Why? You've got to keep it real and I don't drive a Lex.
I drive a Fiat.
True, true, you gotta keep it real, but I don't know if you can see it You know, I've got I like, "If you want a boyfriend, I could be it.
" - You got a little rhyming ability.
- Yeah? Yeah, but we gonna help you out a whole lot.
Gotta make this money, it's all on me We gotta get this cheese, that's all we need Riding in my Fiat, looking for a bi-atch Ah haa! I don't think I could say "bi-atch".
( Backing track playing) Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it (Laughter) We want to do more.
That's good! That is good stuff.
My money don't jiggle-jiggle, it folds I want to see you wiggle-wiggle, for sure When you say it, it actually makes you feel kind of tough saying it.
I mean, rap is like an extension of reality.
When you say, "My money don't jiggle, it folds," they gonna know what you talking about.
There's not gonna be any doubt in their mind, they gonna know you don't have quarters and dimes.
You have dollars, hundreds, whatever you have.
But whatever you have, it folds.
0h, no! I quite like "0h, no!" You gonna be crushed up in that compact, Louis.
Yeah, the seats go back, though.
Maybe that's something to say.
Six feet two, the seats go back Yeah, it's a compact.
Hey, Louis, see! Being true to yourself.
"Luckily the seats go back!" - That's not working.
- I'll put that in there.
Pause.
I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go back You've almost caught it! I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go - Recliner, a vagina.
- Louis! - You can't say vagina here on the radio.
- Can you not? I've crashed it quite a few times.
Maybe I like red wine.
I've got some you know I like relaxing.
0K Got the knack to sip on some red, red wine.
- Got the knack.
Do you know the song, Red, Red Wine? You remember that? I could go into that.
Red, red wi-i-i-ine I'd like some cheese with that wine Yes, please No? Nothing there? I gotta knack to relax, In my mind I'm feelin' fine And I'm sippin' some red, red wine (Laughter) Hey, man! Sounds good.
Do you think Wild Wayne's gonna like it? He'll love it, man.
You know, you asked us, could you come and could you rap? You rap.
- Yep.
- Hey, man, much love.
- Yes.
See you later.
- See you later, Louis.
It's gonna be a success.
You know what I'm saying? Get your lyrics right, get your lyrics squared away, practise.
- Stay out of the rain, Louis.
- See you later.
Driving in your Fiat.
Despite all the encouragement, I wasn't sure how my rap would go down on the streets of New Orleans later that evening.
I was feeling rather nervous about performing live on Wild Wayne's show.
- Louis! - Wild Wayne.
- How the hell are you? - Good, how are you doing? - You been all right? - Not too bad.
- Very good, very good.
- You're shouting.
That's what I do when I work.
I got headphones on.
My man Louis is up here from the BBC radio.
- Hello.
- Yeah, you can say hello.
- Hello, everyone.
Hello, New 0rleans.
- No, get closer to the mic, man.
Hello, New 0rleans.
Louis Theroux from the BBC here.
He's been rollin' around the South.
Yeah, meeting Master P, some of the other rap people.
- Even went to his mansion, I heard.
- We shot some hoops at Master P's mansion.
I asked him if he would sign me.
He said he would think about it.
- Sign to No Limit Records? - Yes.
Get outta here! We're gonna put him on, so one of you guys out there will kinda be going head-to-head with old Louis.
It's not against professionals.
They're just other listeners.
So probably the standard isn't going to be too intimidating.
It'll be pretty intimidating, cos they have some really good amateurs out there.
Your number-one station, nothing but the jams, Q93! - Are we off now? - Yes, we are off.
Do rappers ever feel obliged to live the fast life because that's what they're rapping about? So that they can, uh What do they say? Life imitating art? I think that some of them do, man, cos you want to live up to that image you've created.
Even if they don't really want to.
Lot of pressure.
I wouldn't want to be a rapper.
The 9 Props are comin'! It's gonna be Louis! Versus the YTs! (Men on Jingle) Let's get ready to rumblel All right, we about to do this like you never knew this.
You guys give us a call on 2609393 and vote for your favourite rapper.
Will it be Louis? 0r will it be the YTs? Check the flavour as we go.
A little something like this.
I say, hey, you all, what's the name? You're on the radio with your boy, Wild Wayne! (Female rapper on phone, indistinct) (Mouths) All right, that was rapper number one! Rapper number two, my in-house guest all the way from London, the BBC, is Louis.
And we about to do this and we go a little something like this.
I gotta make this money, it's all on me - We gotta get this cheese, it's all we need - Louis! Louis! Louis, Louis, you're supposed to let me do my part first.
0h, sorry.
He's into this, he's into this! But that's good.
I gotta do my part! Are you ready? You just said it would go something like this.
Just listen.
Here we go, here we go.
I said a-hey, you all, what's your name? You're on the radio with your boy, Wild Wayne! Gotta (Laughing) With your boy, Wild Wayne! I gotta make this money, it's all on me We gotta get this cheese, it's all we need I gotta make this money, it's all on me Louis, Reese and Big, and the BBC My money doesn't jiggle-jiggle, it folds I wanna see you wiggle-wiggle, for sure It makes me wanna dribble-dribble, you know Riding in my Fiat, you really have to see it I'm six feet two in a compact, no slack But luckily the seats go back I got a knack to relax in my mind I'm feeling fine and I'm sipping some red (Both) red wine Louis, you did it, you did it! All right, I gotta do my part.
I said, Louis in the house And that London sound is out Big Louis in the house And that London crew's turning out That was the 90'Clock Props tonight.
- You guys call me, 2609393.
- Yeah, let's hear from the people.
- Vote for Louis or the YTs.
- The YTs were good, though.
- We're gonna see how good they were.
- Excellent.
- That was fun.
- We gotta get some callers.
- Yeah, hello! - (Girl) Wayne? - Yeah.
- Your boy was wrong.
Louis, he was wrong.
- Louis was wrong? - Yeah, he was wrong.
Hold on, all right? - What does that mean, "Wrong"? - She didn't like your rap.
- But wrong about what? - Hold on.
- (Girl) I wanna vote for the first one.
- You want to vote for rapper one? - Yes.
Number one.
- 0K, hold on.
- (Girl) I'm voting for number two.
- For Louis! Whoo-hoo! Good choice! - Who you voting for? - (Girl) Number two.
He was tight.
- It was what? - It was tight.
That means good.
Yeah, yeah, that's excellent.
- You voting for number one? - Wait, I was number two.
- (Girl) Nol - I was number two, not number one.
No, I liked number one better.
You didn't like Louis? I wanna see you jiggle-jiggle Come on, what are you talking about? All right, I'll vote for number two.
Hold on, I'm gonna put you live on the radio.
Is that all right? - (Girl) Yes.
- Who you gonna vote for? - Number two.
- Yes! Hold on, here we go.
Q93, it's your boy, Wild Wayne! Now is the moment everybody's been waiting for.
And especially you, I know, Louis.
Ah, like I always say, somebody's gotta win somebody's gotta lose on the 90'Clock Props.
The winner tonight Landslide.
Louis? Wow, it's a landslide.
- Louis! The winner! - (Cheering and applause) I'd done it.
Whether it was the novelty factor of being from London, or pure rhyming ability, or Just because I'd kept it real, I'd won the approval of the streets of New Orleans.
My time in the Dirty South was nearly over.
But there was one rapper I was still intrigued by, the self-styled international gangsta pimp, Mellow T.
I decided to pay him a final visit, but when I arrived, he wasn't alone.
- Hi, how are you doing? - This is Sunshine.
- Nice to meet you.
- Are you Sunshine? I'm Louis.
- This is Fantasy.
Couple of my girls.
- Hi, Fantasy.
How are you doing? And, erm So are you having a rehearsal? I mean, what is happening? This is odd, isn't it? What about you, Sunshine? Is the idea that you're going to go full-time rapping, and basically get yourself out of your go totally straight? Yes, go totally legit.
- Yeah.
- Get married.
- Who are you going to marry? - My baby over there.
My daddy.
The number one, my king, my saviour.
My Jesus Christ.
So when is your album coming out? - Next year.
- And what's it called? - Sunshine, The Boss Bitch.
- Yeah.
Well, would it be all right to see her do something in here, do a rap in here? - No, you still in development stage.
- Yeah.
You know, I got a real slick style for her that she bring.
Have you done any raps with her at all? Uh, yeah, for sure.
I was beginning to doubt just how serious Mellow was about using rap as a way out of pimping.
(Gunshots) Be careful.
I don't think you should put it down there.
- That's where I keep it.
- It could go off, though.
Nah, it ain't gonna go off.
I been doing it since 11 years old.
Yeah.
You could shoot your testicles off, basically.
No, man, that's where I keep it.
I believe in coercive power.
That's fear.
Sometimes, man, that's the best understanding in the world.
When a woman got a pistol at her head, she seem to listen better.
- That's quite shocking.
- Not really.
Not to me.
Everybody fascinated with the bad guy.
Everybody want to know how it is to be a pimp, to be a gangsta.
You know what I'm saying? Couldn't you just go ahead and rap about being a pimp and not actually be a pimp? No, no, it wouldn't work for me.
You understand what I'm saying? - Why? - It's like me rapping about building computers.
You feel what I'm saying? It ain't what I do, you know.
But I break a ho It's just, I thought it was like wrestling, where they are quite strong but you're basically pretending to fight, you're portraying a character.
Do you know what I mean? Not me.
The character is real.
You understand what I mean? This character who I am might get me killed, for real.
Straight up.
And that's what's so real about my life.
- That's got to be a bad thing.
- No, it ain't no bad thing.
Nothing bad about dying, man, you understand? Especially for the cause.
You feel me? Straight up.
I wanna be a hero, man.
I want to be like the rest of them, like Jesse James and Billy the Kid, you understand me? Huh! Ha.
Uh.
(Barks) If you put so much emphasis on rap being about reality, then in a way it becomes like, in order to rap, you have to be a gangster, which contributes to the lifestyle.
If you want me to stop rapping about crack and selling drugs, then get the drugs off the street, get the guns off the street, you understand what I'm saying? That's the reality of it.
I didn't choose this lifestyle, it chose me.
My 16-year-old brother got killed last year.
You feel what I'm saying? - Did he really? - No doubt.
In a dice gang.
He turned his back and a dude shot him twice in the head.
- What was his name? - His name was Keeno.
- Well, it's been an education.
- No doubt.
Good to see you, Louis.
Yeah.
Next time I see you, you'll be totally legitimate.
- Most definitely.
Most definitely.
- I hope so.
- See you later.
- You have a good one, Louis.
I wasn't convinced Mellow T would ever go legit.
Like the other rappers I'd met, he was infatuated with the glamour and tragedy of gangster life.
But he'd chosen to live the character for real, and for me, that didn't make him a better rapper.
So can we kind of like walk around and rap about things we just happen to see? - Yeah.
- There's a man, delivering the mail With legs like that, you know he'll never fail There's a guy, he's riding on a bike We should go and put him on the mic When I'm in the Hummer I'm gonna cause some drama You Watch out for your karma You'll You know what I mean? It's London all right, it's a letter to a friend - 0h, damn it! - You gotta get it.
Come on, now! I like a pair of tits, without being rude I like a pair of tits, I don't wanna be crude A nice pair of tits, if they're big or they're small I like a nice pair of tits, doing it all A nice pair of tits, I can see 'em in the 0h, I can't do "tits".
It's too rude.
Also some carrots, for health reasons I'd also like to top it off with some raisins 0r what about, uh, a little duck and potatoes? Hogmogs and chickens and, um, alligator? (Laughing) 0r how about some frog's legs or maybe frog spawn? I'd sprinkle it all over my - I can't.
No, it's - Over your corn! - Over my corn! - There you go! (Laughs)