They say poverty is the greatest motivator so it’s no surprise that Louisiana native Crix Green has gotten as far as he has in the hip-hop game independently. From starting in a packed house with 12 people to running the streets of Louisiana, Crix has seen a lot and luckily, for fans of hip-hop he’s decided to put his experiences into music. Whether he’s putting together a hot mixtape or doing a collabo with Louisiana legend Juvenile, Crix stays busy in order to put his stamp on the game. His brand is growing and with singles like So Cool and Feel Good in heavy rotation it’s only a matter of time before Crix is officially a hip-hop staple. Mens Mag Daily sat down with Crix to discuss his rough upbringing, how he got into the music business, and what things are like in the Louisiana hip-hop community.
Mens Mag Daily: Alright Crix, let’s take it back to the beginning here. I was reading up on you and you grew up in a house with 12 people in it.
Crix Green: Yeah man, three sisters, six brothers, my mother and father, plus myself.
Mens Mag Daily: That had to be rough.
Crix Green: Yes it was, but you know, you go through those rough periods but at the same time you’re with all those brothers and sisters so you’re going through it together. There were days we didn’t eat.
Mens Mag Daily: That’s crazy. What was your mindset as a kid growing up in a situation like that?
Crix Green: I had the only mindset you really could have which is trying to figure out how you could get out of that situation and make it better and help your family. You get the drive to want to do something. It’s a bad experience but I got good out of it, you know what I mean? It made me want more and more out of life and that’s what it creates. I would never go back to where I’ve been.
Mens Mag Daily: Would you say that situation kind of drove you directly to the streets?
Crix Green: Yes, exactly, you’re trying to get that fast money. You want to get out of the situation as fast as possible. It sent me straight to the streets. I’m not saying it’s all I know but I definitely know it. I had a lot of street things goin’ on.
Mens Mag Daily: What was that turning point where you decided there had to be something better than getting money in the streets?
Crix Green: I mean I always had it in my mind that I could do other things. In the streets, it’s only so far you can get. A close friend of mine died. I was putting money behind him as an artist. When he passed I knew I had to take the ball and run with it. If you’re in the streets, the only thing you can really turn to is the music. Unless you’re going to school or you’re trying to be a better basketball or football player, the music is the only option for a lot of Black males.
Mens Mag Daily: So when you took on that responsibility what were your first steps, had you rhymed before?
Crix Green: I did it while he was doin’ it but I wasn’t fully into it, you know? I was still in the streets. And that’s what I rhyme about. I rap about reality and it’s always better to hear it from the person that actually lived it, the source. What I talk about is all real and as far as the actual rhyming went I always knew and felt that there wasn’t anything in this world that I can’t do. At the end of the day, it seemed like the right to make for the future, you know?
Mens Mag Daily: Everybody knows that the music business is crazy. It’s cutthroat and it’s hard to break into. What was it like for you when you were first trying to break into it?
Crix Green: It definitely is. What I learned is that the music business is like the streets. People are gonna try and sell you dreams and tell you they could do this and that for you. What you need to do is get out there, promote your show, grind and do all those things for yourself. You have to do that. You have to take those steps.
Mens Mag Daily: When did you realize that things were starting to pop for you?
Crix Green: I would say about a year ago, a good year ago. You really start to notice when you’re riding through your city and you hear people bumpin’ you and people and sayin’ what up. You start to feel it at those moments. They don’t know me but they know me, you know? Even when you hear people talkin’ about how they love one of my songs and you get to see that reaction.
Mens Mag Daily: You also have the single Feel Good featuring Juvenile. How did that collab happen?
Crix Green: He just heard the song man. When he heard it he wanted to jump on it. It was hot man. It wasn’t no politics or nothin’ like that. He heard it and he jumped on it. That was it.
Mens Mag Daily: You released the Keepin’ It Ben Franklin mixtape with DJ Scream. Were you happy with the response to that?
Crix Green: Yeah that was the first mixtape and the response was good. I feel like I put a lot of work into it. That actually started everything off. If I didn’t put that out I wouldn’t be where I’m at today so it was a good experience just to learn. I had actually made music for a while before that but that was the first one so it’s important to me, you know?
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve worked with Juve, would you say the hip-hop community in Louisiana is tight knit?
Crix Green: I mean I would say it’s a situation where people stay to themselves. Somebody might step out of that box once in a while but it’s basically you do you and we’ll do us.
Mens Mag Daily: I’ve always wondered man. You’re doing the music thing which I know takes up a lot of time. You still have to sustain yourself financially. Are you just working 24 hours a day?
Crix Green: It’s definitely hard because I’m the rapper and the CEO. One minute I have to be a rapper then the next minute I have to be the CEO. I’m the backbone of it all in so many ways including financially. I did enough in my day that I’m able to keep everything good. I’m not saying I’m headed for retirement but it is what it is.
Mens Mag Daily: What are you looking for in terms of the future? Are you looking for a major label deal or are you looking to keep it independent?
Crix Green: I’m not really looking for anything. I’m just gonna work and do what I do and that’s what it is. I’m gonna keep putting out good music and whatever comes, then it comes. I’ve been a boss my whole life so there’s no stopping to a lower level from that. If somebody wants to talk business with me then cool but if not then nah.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you have any new projects you’re working on?
Crix Green: Yeah, I have another mixtape that I’m putting together right now and I have another single that’s killin’ the airwaves called So Cool. I got another project called Gangsta and a Gentleman as well. One side is for the ladies and the other side is for my street people, I can’t leave them alone. They’re my backbone.
Mens Mag Daily: Where can the fans reach out to you?
Crix Green: Fans can always reach out to me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CrixGreen. The mixtape is on iTunes. I’m on Facebook too at https://www.facebook.com/itscrixgreen?sk=wall
Crix Green Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8-38ir-EU4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfK5VjoaSFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLwJ3OmzN4A
Article By: Jon Dabove
