Shawty Lo – From D4L To Recent Signing With G-Unit, Shawty Tells Us His Tips And Work Ethic To Make It To The Top Of The Game

Shawty Lo, is an American rapper, founder of D4L Records, and member of hip hop group D4L. His debut album, Units in the City, was released on February 26, 2008. On June 8, 2011 he signed his label D4L Records to 50 Cent’s, G-Unit Records. After a decade of unlawful activities, Walker decided to turn his attention to music and began performing as Shawty Lo. In 2003, Shawty Lo founded D4L Records, with other rappers Fabo, Stuntman and Mook B. His associates are each from different Bankhead housing projects; Bankhead Courts, Hollywood Courts and Perry Homes respectively. The group’s debut single “Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me” became a local hit in 2004. Lo was convicted of assault and selling cocaine and served a year in prison until July 27, 2005. In January 2006, D4L’s single “Laffy Taffy” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

WWS: Shawty Lo, congrats on the new deal with G-Unit, we are all very happy for you here at WWS! From your crazy past with D4L and all the success you’ve already had, the readers and I really want to hear from you the history behind Shawty Lo. How did you transform into the man you are now?
SL: Believe it or not, I have been a solo artist for about five years now. When I started  D4L I was just trying to be the guy behind the scenes. I went to prison in 2004 when we had a few big singles. I then started to write my own music. My first song “I’m The Man” was recorded soon after and people loved it. That’s how I started solo. D4L is still my team; that’s the group. Then I just got a new deal with G-Unit so now I’m here. I was never trying to be a artist though. I never thought I was going to be able to write haha. I was a very large drug dealer at my time. I had a really tough childhood. It’s nothing to be proud of. I am from Bankhead in Atlanta. It was rough. My mom was on drugs when I was a kid and my grandma raised me. But she died when I was seventeen. God was able to help me turn the negative into positive with the music.

After D4L, tell me about your relationship with Gucci Mane and 1017 Squad.
Gucci has always been a good friend of mine. We bumped into each other in Decatur. When we met, we were feeling each others vibes. We started recording with each other and we’d go to each others studios. We are like brothers. We been friends for a long time haha.

Congrats with your new deal with G-Unit and 50 Cent! How did that come about? How did that happen?
Well I did a song in the past with Tony Yayo and 50 Cent. It was always talked about, but I was with Asylum and Warner Brothers at the time. After that deal, there were a lot of labels that offered me a lot. But my meeting with 50 was the best situation in my opinion. We came from similar situations and he knows where to take me, and get me where I need to be. He is a marketing genius.

You have so much material homie. You have a lot of knowledge and skills yourself as a mainstream and very successful musican. What do you think are the best marketing techniques from your perspective and what you’ve seen in your career?
You’ve got to use the internet. Send your music and better yet videos to all the bloggers. Use Youtube! If you are not with a major label, then you have to utilize the internet because it’s basically free. And you can push it however hard you want! Give it 100% and it will happen for you too.

How important is it to have a manager? What are the key roles of a manager in your life as a musician?
You need a manager and a lawyer. The music business is a dirty game. It’s 80 percent business and 20 percent music. You need to have both or you will get lost in the system homie. That’s what I always tell other artists man.

What are some of the toughest things you have to go through as you were coming up into success?
There wasn’t really any hard times. But I had some contract issues with my last label. It wasn’t hard after I got into the game  and learned it. After I learned it, it was just natural. I knew exactly what to do. Everyone will always have haters. If there are no haters, there are no players. They never said I would make it, but I always pulled through. You can be anywhere you want to be in life, you just have to do it.

What do you think so many artists get into the music industury and 99 percent of them fall out?
They see the glitter and the gleam and they can’t sustain that forever. Then they go cold. Once you go cold it’s very hard to get back. People are not used to certain things. So when they get that, they run with it. I learned that in the drug game. I got so big that I thought I was bigger and better than everyone. Then when I lost everything and all the friends who I thought were my friends went away. All the girls that I thought were my girlfriends left. It was so hard and I told myself if I ever got it back I would never be that way again. It’s all about respect. You have to stay working. It doesn’t last forever. Now that I am back on top of my game, I am very humble and I treat everyone with respect, bottom line. I used to surround myself with hundreds of people. I had a lot of girlfriends, or I thought I did. When the money goes, they all go. It was a hurtful feeling. There was one girl that stayed down with me though, she was the only one that stayed down. You don’t realize it until it’s all gone man. You gotta treat your fans right, you got to respect the DJ’s and everyone around you. Don’t ever look down on anyone man. There is always someone bigger than you. Everyone has to go through this cycle.

For other artists that are just getting their feed wet; from what you’ve experienced, what are some things they need to know before they get into the game.
Like I said, they need both good management and a good lawyer. Know the business side too. You have to give it your 100%. if you get a hit record, don’t think it’s gonna last forever. A hit song doesn’t last that long. So you have to stay working and stay consistent. It’s a real job and you’ve got to love what you do. You have to work hard to make it in this game.

As far as building a fan base? What suggestions do you have to gain fans?
Plain and simple homie; you have to be yourself. There is no trick in getting fans. People love me for me homie. That’s really the best way I can put it.

When you signed the recent deal with 50 Cent. What type of deal was it? Was it artist deal or partnership with you company?
Yeah I signed a label deal with 50. It’s G-Unit / D4L. 50 Cent came on board as the overhead. But it was a label deal yes sir.

We see a lot of artists wanting to make it but do not want to work for it. Tell us how hard you work to be able to sustain your career. What is a normal work day for you Shawty Lo? Indie artists need to hear this from you homie.
Oh man! It’s crazy, it’s longer than a nine to five. Our job is all day every day. People only see the shows but it’s so much more than that. You have to be in the studio for long hours and be here and be there. There is so much to do every day. I get up, then handle paperwork. I have to do features. I work with my artists. It’s so much. Then you have to deal with all these people, and you have to hire someone to help you deal with it haha. I thought it was gonna be easy. You see it on TV and say that’s the life I want to live. it does pay, but man it is not a easy job.

Do you have any other businesses besides music? Any hobbies or anything?
I do a little real estate and I have D4L films; that’s about it bro. So I am definitely working and putting things together haha.

Last words, what can we expect to see coming soon? I know you’ve just dropped a mixtape recently with G-Unit. Anything else?
I have a new single I’m promoting right now called Pocahontas with Wale and Twista. I also have a big record right now with Tony Yayo, 50 Cent and Roscoe Dash which is going to be huge. Other than that, it’s the new G-Unit mixtape, it’s called Bankhead Forever.