There’s a new wave of young spitters setting the tone in the city of Chicago. One of em’ being 24 year old “Dro-city” rapper King Louie. King Louie is one of many chi-cities rising stars that are introducing the world to Chicago’s Drill-hop scene. The Source.com recently chat with King Louie to discuss Dope x Shrimp, Chicago’s hip hop scene, as well as a possible collaboration with Busta Rhymes.
The Source: Your sound is completely different from what we usually hear from chi-town rappers like Rhymefest, Common and Twista to name a few. What motivated you to head that direction?
King Louie: It really didn’t motivated us… when you say guys like rhymefest and all those guys like everybody coming from Chicago are all talented, I’m not going to take anything from nobody. Coming from Chicago you got Twista, R Kelly, you got Kanye, and you got your Lupe [Fiasco], but their sound isn’t the majority of what Chicago is living or experiencing you feel me.
Now when you’re hearing us it’s really what maf***as going through. It’s like “damn he’s really talking about what’s happening”, so that makes the people connect. Plus those guys are older individuals and we’re speaking for the young maf***as in Chicago coming up.
So our following is big in Chicago because the young population is big in Chicago. If your city is rocking with you [and Chicago is a hating ass city] then you good! It’s like the people see another side of Chicago they see a movement of young talent.
The Source: So how’d you link up with Chief Keef and Lil Durk?
King Louie: We’re all kind of from the same area, we all have mutual friends and my roadies would tell that these guys would be f***king with my music. Cuz you know I’m a couple a years older than them, Chief Keef is only like sixteen you feel me, I’m twenty-four.
So they came up listening to the King Louie s**when they were some shorty’s probably 12 or 14 years old they were listening to King Louie, you see what I’m saying’ . So now they’re doing their s**t and now they want to work with a maf***a and they’re really in this s**t, nobody is on no fake s**t, everybody came up in this. I felt good because they came up listening to me and now they’re taking off that made me feel good like was a role model, knowing that I inspired them and now they’re doing it and taking over.
The Source “Shout out to L.E.P, J Boogie right, Chief Keef, King Louie, this is chi right, right?” What was going through your mind when you heard Kanye shouting out on “I Don’t Like” remix
King Louie: If you told me a year ago that Kanye would have shouted me out on a record, you couldn’t tell me “Yo kanye’s been listening to your s**t and he’s going to shout you out”, you feel me. This dude has been nominated for Grammys’ and all types of boss s**t and you know we’re coming from the bottom, you aint thinking anybody is listening to our s**t. I was doing this for my block and my hood you feel me. But now I do it for the world to hear hit because everybody that here’s it they like it.
The Source: The hype is big now any calls from any majors?
King Louie: Yea I’m signed to Sony/Epic now. I’ve been with them for about two-three months. Its crazy how this s**t happened; it feels like a dream how my life started turning around.
The Source: So what’s the next move for King Louie, any tour dates lined up, album releases?
King Louie: I’m looking into doing whatever man; this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m just willing to work you feel me. For me I’ve been go hard with this s**t for like six years you feel me, just recording and feeding the streets.
“Dope & Shrimp” was going to be a mix tape, but just off the title alone we felt it’ll be better to release it as an album. The album is already done, but I might add some new s**t to it. But I’m working on a new mix tape now titled “Showtime”.
The Source: Are there any artist you’d like to work with this summer?
King Louie: I’d like to work with meek mill’s that new dream chasers 2 that s**t go ham. I want to work with Rick Ross, do some shit with drake matter of fact you know who I really want to work with The Weekend and [Lil] Wayne. I just want to make good music and takeover the streets with this music and get a bag off this s**t.
I might do a song with Busta Rhymes, I saw him in a club and I wanted to show him respect like on some fan s*** not groupie you feel me. And my man had told him who I was and then he looked at me and started talking to me like I was talk to him just paying homage. He was like yea I f*** wit you fam, you from the Kanye? And I was like yea and it’s ironic cuz we’re out in L.A. and they’re playing the song [I don’t’ Like RMX] they dropped the joint like 4, 5 times back to back you feel me. They shine a maf***a out in the club and he just showed me mad love, we kick it for about an hour outside the club.
The Source: Looks like all your hard work is paying off my dude and by watching these YouTube vids it seems like chi-city’s behind you, how does that make you feel?
King Louie: It feels good you know all those vids are real. We’re on those blocks I just tell my people we’re shooting something and they just come out. We’re in them hoods we’re just trying to show the world the real Chicago.
We aint in no mutha****ing skateboards or some s**t like that you feel me. We’re trappers and killers out here, bunch of real dudes and gangstas out here.
Interview by: Walford Guillaume (Wally Wall$treeet)
Special Thanks: Phillip Roche
