In 2007, it was easy to group Rich Boy with the so-called “ringtone rappers” who ruled the hip-hop and pop airwaves, given his ubiquitous ode to Cadillacs and wheels “Throw Some D's.” However, the fact that Rich Boy was partnered by one of music’s hottest producers, Polow Da Don (responsible for Fergie’s “London Bridge,” Ciara’s “Promise” and Usher’s “Love In This Club”), should have made it plain that the Alabama MC was no flash in the pan. Any further skepticism was put to rest with “Let’s Get This Paper,” a passionate diatribe against police brutality and the injustices of the legal system, the video of which he funded with his own money. Building on that momentum, Rich Boy recently released the mixtape of mostly new material Bigger Than the Mayor, featuring Shawty Lo and Rocko. While his protégé was busy shutting-up critics, Polow has also had an eventful year: there’s been the hits, an attempted robbery, and accusations that he’s been borrowing melodies and sounds (for “Love in the Club”) from Apple’s Garage Band software. Polow and Rich Boy both seemed to be in excellent spirits when Rhapsody got them on the phone to discuss the dos and don’ts of their creative process, as well as who they will and won’t work with.
Rhapsody: How many songs did you guys go through before figuring out the ones you wanted to use for the mixtape?
Rich Boy: Polow is like my ear. I can’t really hear the music like he hears the music. So what I do is just work and let him be my ear. That’s how our relationship is.
Polow Da Don: He went 16 for 16. There was a couple records I wanted to re-do to make them bigger ‘cause this sound bigger than a mixtape. I was trying to get Interscope to put it out as an album. But Rich Boy was so eager and proud of the work he had done, he just put it out. It’s not everything it should’ve been from a business standpoint. But the streets love it and they playing some of the songs on the radio like “Ms. Pacman” and “Wrist out the Window.”
Which tracks specifically did you want to make bigger?
Polow Da Don: “Wrist out the Window” because I thought that was a hit record and wanted to add certain things to brighten it up and give it that radio feel. I still want to keep it gutter, but one thing I can do really well is make records sound street, yet still mainstream. “Haters Wish” to me is a hit record. I wanted to feature Lloyd or Ne-Yo to sing background and some overdubs to make it bigger. I had Interscope ready to shoot two videos and then put the mixtape [out digitally]. Most artists can’t get a label to commit to two videos on their album.
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