Hey Big Pokey!
Hey how are you sweetie?
I'm fine! How are you?
I'm good, I'm good.
So, Big Pokey you're an original member of Screwed Up Click how did you hook up with DJ Screw?
Man it was a long time ago, I met Screw a while back it was a long time ago and he was doing a CD a little after that I had met him again and we still remembered each other. One of my homeboys from the hood, he went over there and we talked to him and we ended up doing a tape or whatever and it kinda just went from there.
What was DJ Screw like to work with?
Oh man it was fun! The whole thing about it was, when we were doing what we were doing, we was having fun you know what I saying? We had a lot of fun he kept it interesting you know, the tapes kept screwing we were in it for the passion and no one there knew it was gone end up getting serious like that.
After featuring on many mixtapes you dropped your first album "Hardest Pit in The Litter" in 1999 what other solo albums have you released?
I followed that with, "Dope Game 2000" and I did "Da Sky's Da Limit" joint then those are all the albums I've dropped I've been on mixtapes and compilations but those are the only albums I've dropped. I'm getting ready to do now my 4th solo.
Your 4th solo album is called "Evacuation Notice" which is out on Koch Records can you tell us about this release, what can we expect to hear on there?
That's right. The "Evacuation Notice" is like an album before the album or whatever to just heat up the scene or whatever. I got some hot joints on there it's just really to warm ‘em up and get ‘em ready for "The Hurricane" that will drop at the top of the year. My fan base they've been waiting on The Hurricane for years or whatever but I've never released it so now I'm gonna get ready to release it. This album here is gonna heat ‘em up and warm ‘em up for it. I got some hot joints on there so you k now I'm expecting big things for it.
Why did you decide to call it Evacuation Notice?
Because "The Hurricane Sensei" is my album and that' finna drop so this is like warming ‘em up with the "Evacuation Notice." Everybody knows there's a hurricane coming and you know when a hurricane coming you have to move out and evacuate.
Tell us about "The Hurricane Sensei"
I put a lot of work in to it you know? I took my time picking these tracks whatever, I've been through a lot and I'm expecting big results. I got a lot of hot songs a lot of concepts, and like I say since I dropped my last solo I've been through a lot, so I got a lot to tell the world.
Well you lost Big Hawk, Big Moe people like that how do you cope and hold it all together?
Well you know at the end of the day we know one thing, we come and we go you know. In the same sense you know I lost my mother and as a matter of fact it makes 3 years today.
Oh I'm sorry to hear that.
You know I'm still here and for the ones that's not here, I gotta represent for ‘em you know because I got to let the world know it ain't over with. Hawk, Moe you know Screw, Fat Pat, Mafio, Gator you know all the ones that's not here we gotta keep their names alive.
So, the first single off "Evacuation Notice" was with Slim Thug on the track, "Boss Hogg on Candy"
Yeah that's the one we have gone with whatever, we getting played on the radio on things and it's doing pretty good. I got a couple more on the Evacuation Notice that can go for singles, so, we'll see you know what I'm saying? I like to let the streets pick ‘em.
When will Evacuation Notice drop?
Evacuation Notice should drop on Labor Day and ya'll can look for that it's got some big things on it which leads you up to Hurricane Sensei that's gone drop at the top of the year. So, ya'll stay looking for that man!
What other artists feature on both albums?
Well on the Evacuation Notice I got a label called Mobb Style so I got my boys on there. I got a couple people out the Screwed Up Click on there. You know I got Paul Wall on there, I really been just putting too many people on there. But my Hurricane Sensei really I wanted to be more me on there, I'm gonna put a few features on there or whatnot but mainly I'm gonna give ‘em a lot of me.
Who were your musical influences when you were getting in the game?
Oh man Street Military, South Park Coalition, Scarface, Geto Boys you know I grew up on all that man. It's been a lot people that I've listened to you know, NWA, stuff like that.
Oh man Street Military, South Park Coalition, Scarface, Geto Boys you know I grew up on all that man. It's been a lot people that I've listened to you know, NWA, stuff like that.
What part of the Southside of Houston are you from and what was it like growing up there?
I'm from Southside of Houston Texas, Yellow Stone that's where I'm from. You know it's just like every other hood. Good times, bad times, hard times, it's going down over there you know?
Southside had beef with the Northside back in the day does all that still continue?
You know what? Nah and that's a good thing and I'm glad for that. You know, but everybody gone represent they side and do they thang. But you know, it's a way to do everything but one thing I like now, is the way the city is functioning as a whole. You know what I'm saying? Because the city was divided in half you know Southside, Northside or whatever and stuff like that but now the city is functioning as a whole. It's a beautiful thang man I like to see everybody doing thangs and getting money and doing they thang so nah it's not going on like that anymore and that's a good thang. Everybody is representing for the house man and that's Houston.
Yes that's definitely a good thing! Big Pokey can you tell me what is your favourite screw tape and why? If you can pick one because I know there's hundreds!
Man I have a few because Screw moved so many tapes. June 27th was a hot one, because that was one that was real, real popular and it was one of my homeboy's birthdays and all of us over there and everybody got on there and did pretty good. Tracks and Schemes I like that one that one was me and Lil Keke on there and you know a lot people really took to that tape too, it was a hot tape, so those are 2 of my favourite tapes.
Tell us Mobb Style Records is that your own label?
Yeah it's my label, actually me and one of my best friends who passed away, he passed away right before I did The Hardest Pit. And we came up together whatever and you know I just been keeping it going ever since. Me and lil brother Chris Ward you probably heard if him?
Yes from Screwed up Click?
Yeah we grew up togther and known each other all our lives. That's my label and his label you know. We just keep it alive man you know that's what it is Mobb style it's more than just a record label it's a way of life.
Do you ever think Screwed up Click would get together again to do an album or mixtape?
Well you know I don't know, I hope so whatever or what not you know probably I the future or something? Right now everybody has their own agenda right now, you know everybody is trying to concentrate on their solo careers whatever which it is cool. But I mean I would like to see us come together and do it again you know? Just for the Click or whatever just to let ‘em know man it ain't over with you know? We lost a lot of people and it knocked the wind out the click whatever but it ain't knocked the player out ‘em man we still here. And we gone represent it till it's over with.
That wraps up the interview. Big Pokey good luck with your albums, is there anything else that you would like to add?
Hurricane Sensei is getting ready to drop at the top of the year, the Evacuation Notice will drop on Labor Day (September 1st) and in the meantime, swingtime me and my squad we getting some shit together to for the Mobb Style project. So right now we working there ain't nothing out there that we'd rather be doing, this is what in do. So you know we ready to get it popping baby!
