Raised in West Dallas, Texas (Rupert Circle housing projects), Big Chief arose as a key speaker for the Dallas street movement during the early 90’s. Rap hustling his Eat Greedy volumes on the corner, Big Chief pioneered the way for many of the up-and-coming artists today. This Super Bowl weekend he’s welcoming visitors with a new city anthem called “Triple D.” Tell us your story. You’ve been holding it down in Dallas for a long time. I’ve been rapping since I was 13. That was in the early 90’s. I was a Scarface, UGK, and Tupac fan, and I’ve been goin’ hard ever since. I did it the old-school way, gettin’ out there, poppin’ trunks, selling CDs to whoever, wherever. I did it the old-fashioned way, no radio play, just selling my CDs on the corner, stores, the mall. I did the real grind. Back then what was the Dallas rap scene like compared to now? Was it as poppin’ back in the day? Naw. Back then you had Pimpsta and the group Hoodlum. I was affiliated with them. Then when I graduated I hooked up with Stoney Crook, they was hot doin’ they thang. It was a big music scene – it was like a certain artist or a certain group had they time. I pretty much been here since the beginning, back when Kottonmouth and all them boys was doin’ they thang. After we did the Stoney Crook thang, then we had the thang with D.S.R., then we had a lot of other artists come through and do they thang. I’m still standin’. What are some of the big things you’re known for in your rap career? There’s a number of things really. A big hit around here was with me and Jim Jones called “My Swag.” Then I did “Check” with me, Bobby Valentino, and Slim Thug. My biggest moment would be when the whole Dallas/Fort Worth solidified me as the Don of the City, as they Tupac, as they Jeezy, TI. Having the people embrace me like that was big. What other cities do you have a lot of fans in? H-Town, Oklahoma City, Omaha, the whole southwest region, they really up on me right now. And honestly they up on me from people burning my CDs and going online because I haven’t really been out to those markets. But they’re familiar with all my mixtapes.
Do you think a lot of the young up-andcoming rappers look up to you? Do you ever mentor anyone like that? The way I give ‘em guidance is just when they see me out there bangin’. They be like, “Man I was in elementary school listening to you. I been listening to you for the longest.” And now they in high school or college. I think my persistence and longevity really motivates ‘em to keep doin’ what they doin’. What are you working on right now? I also got a mixtape with me and Lil Keke called Standing Ovation. I’m working on my mixtape Street Edition Vol 2 called EGD. It’s got my boy D.O.C. on there, and my boy Mr. Maintain. He just got out, he’s one of the artists on my label. I got this hot new single called the “Triple D.” Right now we got a lot of hype going on about the city, and I got a song to complement it. It’s really welcoming everyone to Dallas, to my world, to my city. Talk about your label and the team behind you. Are you still doing the independent thing? Right now I’m independent. I got a couple key players behind me – my manager Mychal Jeter. I got an R&B artist named T-Bone. My biggest thing is my production team. I got a flurry of producers that keep me with fire producers. We been independent for the longest, and we would love to have the national exposure through a major. It’s good music and the people need to hear it, so if it’s a good situation, I’d love to have a major behind me. But right now we indie and we move how we move. Where will you be Super Bowl weekend? Any shows? At this time I’m just gon’ enjoy the festivities and spotlight along wit’ everybody else. If something comes up I might make an appearance somewhere. Is there anything else you want to mention? Shout out to Urban South and Pookie for always keeping me in the magazine. I’m on Facebook, Big Chiefa and Twitter @BigChiefa. Eat Greedy or don’t eat at all – it’s not just a slogan, it’s a way of life. //
OZONE MAG // 15