Urban Grandstand Digital Issue 11: Divine Brown | Page 118

It’s so good to see people come back from hard times and persevere through their struggle. The whole world witnessed the struggles of Young Turk! As one fourth of The Hot Boys, he was living the life that most people dreamed of, all while still in his teens. His world came crashing down, though, when he ended up going prison following a much-publicized drug raid. Now accused of attempted murder, he would spend the next 8 1/2 years behind bars, away from the one thing that was supposed to save him: his music.

Fast forward to now! Turk is free, and and truly living the life he details in his album, “Young N Thuggin 2”. In our exclusive, he talks all about what “Thuggin” actually means for him. The beauty is that he’s turned his entire life around, and he’s striving to bring the world with him on his journey. In this feature, you’ll learn all about his movement with YNT, and the many things he’s got planned for the future.

U.G. Digital Mag: Talk to me about your transition into becoming the businessman you are. You’ve come so far in this, and made a lot of headway in getting reestablished. Many are not able to rebuild in this way.

Young Turk: Basically, it comes a time when you just grow. If you’re not growing, what’s the sense in doing it. Started out as an artist in a group, obviously, and now I’m a solo artist. My thing has always been to get my own. Even when I was doing the wrong thing, my mindset was always to get my own, and when I caught a case, I had a lot of time to sit back and think. While thinking through it, I was making sure I made calculated thoughts. I started the YNT thing. That was my first album on Cash Money. I dropped my first album in 2001, and then I got incarcerated. I was trying to figure out how to do this Young N Thuggin movement. The idea started in jail. I had YNT publication, and then I came home and made it into an empire. It’s not just music. It’s movies, printing, and it’s a brand.

U.G. Digital Mag: I think what’s so amazing about it is the fact that a lot of people, real talk, didn’t expect you to be able to come back this way. It’s good that you were able to prove them wrong. Where did all of this come from? I realize you saw a lot of the business, but what else helped you?

Young Turk: It was experience man. Sometimes, experience is the best teacher. You have to fall down, bump your head, get back up, and keep going. I learned from my own experiences. I wasn’t fortunate enough to learn from others’ mistakes. I was the type that had to burn my hand, but you get tired of that. You start pushing and moving and make sure you calculate right.

U.G. Digital Mag: What’s been the most difficult part in getting re-established and running the company?

Young Turk: Everything is difficult because it’s a lot of challenges. It’s how you overcome those challenges. Everyday I am so determined. I don’t know how the challenges will come, but I just have to execute and overcome it. I just keep pushing no matter what, even when it don’t look good. I just have the mindset that it’s going to happen, and nothing can stop me.

U.G. Digital Mag: Since you’ve been back, over the past few years, there’s been talk of the Hot Boys reuniting. What’s the reality in that?

Young Turk: Me and Birdman been chopping a lot. We about to hit the road together. Juvie and Mannie Fresh been rollin. We all got our own thing going on too, but it’s about the right timing. We can’t just say it’ll happen this day or that day, but it will be real soon though.

U.G. Digital Mag: I have to say thank you to you, because you guys did so much and I look back at the trail you blazed, you guys were really doing it big and it was inspiring. I followed you guys so tough, and you instilled in many people that all things were possible. I still listen too the old music everyday man.

Young Turk: For sure man, I appreciate that.