14 Nov Soultrain.com Q&A – Yo Gotti

There hasn’t been more a suitable MC to represent Memphis post-Three 6 Mafia than Yo Gotti. Even before releasing his major label debut Live From The Kitchenlast year, Mr. Mario Mims earned the respect of hip-hop contemporaries, including Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Wale and Nicki Minaj. Going from drug dealing to selling out shows domestically, Yo Gotti took his experiences from the street and applied them to music–both artistically and commercially. He hopes to continue to grow on both ends of the spectrum when he releases I Am November 19th. The first joint venture between his CMG imprint and Epic records, Yo Gotti hopes to transition smoothly from one of hip-hop’s rising stars to label owner.

By the looks of it, things are going in his favor.

The Jeezy and Y.G.-assisted “Act Right” became one of this past summer’s biggest club hits, while “King S**T” featuring T.I. easily became a street single to remember this year. Among a host of other topics, SoulTrain.com discuses lessons learned from his major label debut, the album title, New York’s embrace of southern rap, and his transformation from drug dealer to MC.

Read the rest here.