DJ Paul's run as an interviewer on Mafia Radio, his new podcast in partnership with HotNewHipHop, has been successful, including chats with Xzibit, Mario Judah, DJ Clue, and more. This week, YFN Lucci blesses the legendary producer with his latest interview, touching on everything from his origins in Atlanta, being gifted the first 2021 Maybach SUV in the United States, and the difference between mixtapes and albums.
One of the most prominent forces out of Atlanta, YFN Lucci began his conversation with DJ Paul by listening to the Three 6 Mafia veteran speak about his own history in the city, before talking about old clubs, the Freaknik festival, and more. They get to Lucci's start in rap, which happened at the young age of 9, before getting to his work with Jeezy. They end up discussing how it feels to get a chart hit, and whether features are overrated now.
"That sh*t's crazy," said YFN Lucci about how everyone is dropping songs with featured artists. "I don't think it's something we have to do but the way the label and nowadays, we got streams and sh*t-- they be wanting two big artists with a name and they know they gon' get the streams. Me, honestly, I feel like every artist got their own fanbase so they don't need features. If you want to put out a song just for your fans, it's for your fans. The features are trying to get their fans to become your fans."
Big Lucc and DJ Paul continued by chatting about the difference between a mixtape and an album, which is a question that many people have asked themselves in recent years.
"These days, it's just a title," laughed Lucci. "These days, that sh*t's just a title. It's the same. When I first came in the game, they were like, 'Wish Me Well is a mixtape' but in my eyes, that's my first album. I put my sh*t together, I went hard." Further into the conversation, Lucci says that albums will help an artist contribute to their label deal, so he suggests that if an artist is signed, a mixtape won't help them much.
Watch the new episode of Mafia Radio and let us know who you'd like to see on the show next.