Thug Life Army

Robert – First let me thank you for finding time to do this.

Gail – Oh, no problem.

Robert – Well I guess we should start with what is on everybody’s mind; and that is why you have left Tha Row?

Gail – Well actually to clear that up I’ve never signed a Death Row contract, I’ve never been under contract with Death Row. It’s kinda been like just a mutual respect, I won’t say a mutual agreement. It’s just been like a situation like that is where I have always been so I just roll with them.

But at the same time because that’s all I’ve known, I ready to get out there and kinda get my feet wet and experience different things.

I know Suge has a lot that’s going on over at the label right now. He’s dealing with the Kurupt album, and getting his situation straight, and he’s managing Petey Pablo now. And he still has legal matters that are going on. Every other month you turn around there is always somebody trying to get money from him.

So at the same time I felt like for me it was best for me to go ahead and do my thing. Because he has too much that’s going on. Sage’s a businessman ya know.

Robert – Well how are things between you and Suge; ya all still kool?

Gail – Yea we’re fine. Ya know I haven’t talked to him or seen Simon in maybe about two months. But things have always been pretty straight with us. I’ve always had a different kind of relationship with him. Going from back in the day, almost ten years ago when I first met him. We have always had a different relationship. He has always been like a protector to me. Ya know, he has always just looked over me and gave me good advice.

Robert – Well was Virginia Slim signed to Death Row?

Gail – No she’s never been signed. We actually both have the same type of situation with them. Ya know what I’m saying; just being over there and supporting them.

Robert – Well when she dropped that track with Tupac, she wasn’t under contract?

Gail – No. I wasn’t when I did Gangstress for the Dysfunktionl Family soundtrack. It was just something where Suge just called me in the studio; He called me on the phone and he was like: You want to go to the studio tonight? I said sure, we did the song and it ended up being on the Dysfunctional family soundtrack.

At the same time Suge has maybe about, at least an album worth of music that me and Virginia Slim have recorded with him. So ya know he has a catalog over there with our music. But we have never been under contract.

Robert – So he has a RedBone album then?

Gail – Yes, he definitely has a classic RedBone album that he could throw out to the gang at any time.

Robert – How are things with you and Kurupt.

Gail – Things with me and Kurupt are good actually. We’re still hanging in there; we’re still in the game. We’re both working. Right now we both got a lot of stuff going on.

Robert - The album has a great line up of feature artist on it. How did you manage to get all of them for the album?

Gail – Well I have a pretty good relationship with a lot of people in the industry, so it was nothing for me to call people up, or when I’m in the studio people slide thru and I’m just like get on this or what ever, people ask to get on things; so that’s the easy part. Ya know getting people to come thru and get on songs with me.

Robert – I know you were on the Boo Yaa Tribe West Koasta Nostra album with ‘Zodiak Kreep’. How did you get hooked up with them?

Gail – I met them from being up at Death Row. Gangsta , from the Boo Yaa Tribe was also on the Dysfunktionl Family soundtrack. So I met them thru Death Row and we kinda just kept in touch. And one time Gawtti from the Boo Yaa Tribe called my cell phone and told me to drive to the studio he wanted me to get on the album, I went out there and knocked it out and it was a hit actually.

Robert – Who did most of the producing and beat making on this album?

Gail – I have production from J Wells, if anybody knows Gail Gotti history I work with him a lot. He is one of my number one producers that I work with. So we got production from Jay Wells on there, Battlecat, LT Hutton, Amazin who is another of my number one producers, Mack Mosart, Mark Sparxxx, and the Beat Brokers.

Robert – Was there a reason for the track listing change, or did ya just have a lot of tracks and re-narrowed it down?

Gail – Yea, ya know what I had a lot of music to choose from. This compilation that I am putting out, this is kinda something from me, this is kinda to give people something from me. Everybody’s been waiting so long to hear something from Gail Gotti, so this is just something I put together. I have a catalog of maybe like over 200 songs, that I’ve done that have never been released; that are just sitting. So I just think it’s time to start just throwing shit to the game

Robert – Well what happened in November? Wasn’t this suppose to drop last year sometime?

Gail – Yea, it was suppose to drop last year and for some odd reason.. Ya know to tell ya the truth I don’t know why it never really came out. I don’t really think that I was serious about it at the time. It was just something that I had threw out there just to see peoples response to it. And everybody was actually looking forward to it coming out, so I kinda felt bad about that, the fact that it never came out and that’s why I’m giving it to people for free. It’s kinda like my gift back to everybody for just supporting me and being so patient.

Robert – Do you have any upcoming shows planned?

Gail – Right now I don’t. I’m actually right now just focusing more on being in the studio. I have other things I am doing right now, such as photo shoots for for different magazines and stuff like that. But as far as the shows I don’t have anything that is coming up right now.

Robert – You have been around Tha Row since about ‘’94 95. The female artist that have been at Tha Row; Lady of Rage, Jewell, and especially Storm – did they help you to create this style that you got?

Gail – Umm, no not really, I wouldn’t say that. I think my style came more from a male influence that I was around like Pac, I think I wrote my first actual rap to a Pac song. Ya know what I’m saying and he actually really really like influenced me to really start rhyming. But as far as my style goes I think that comes more from the male influence in my life like Kurupt and stuff like that. Even though back in the day watching Storm and Jewell and Rage around that time, to me that was incredible. Ya know what I’m saying, cause I was so young, and to watch them and how they conducted themselves around a male dominated industry, to me that was incredible. So I definitely looked up to them.

Robert – Do you ever get to see Storm now days.

Gail – Ya know what I haven’t seen Storm in probably 5 ½ years. I really don’t know what’s going on with her right now. I would definitely to hook up with her and get her on some of my stuff.

Robert – Well the last I heard she was doing the ‘mom’ thing, which ya can’t fault her for; ya got ta respect her for that.

Gail – Oh yea definitely that’s first and fore most an actually the last time I saw Storm she had actually just given birth to son I believe. So it’s been awhile. And Rage, Kurupt talks to Rage every so often, and her daughter actually just spent the weekend over my house a couple weeks ago.

Robert – What about Jewell?

Gail – Oh Jewell, that’s see that’s my mutha fucker right there. Jewell that’s a different kind of situation. Back in the day Jewell was the one that kinda took me under her wing, ya know what I’m saying. I was like her little protégé. Jewell taught me a lot about niggaz. (we both laugh). Jewell put me up on the nigga game; ya know what I’m saying. And I haven’t seen Jewell in a minute but every time I do run into her it’s always like we never even split from each other.

Robert – You brought Tupac up, after he passed did your mental thought of rappin and the game and everything, and being at Death Row – did that change at all?

Gail – It did a little bit. When Pac passed that was kinda difficult, it was actually very difficult, it was hard. It was umm, it actually gave me motivation to keep going and to succeed in life because umm.

Robert – Well you were around him when you were in high school right?

Gail – Yea, I met Pac when I was in probably like the a; I had to be maybe in the 9th or 10th grade. And he use ta always – me and Pac’s relationship was kinda different. He use ta always give me motivational words of wisdom ya know like to stay focused and don’t get caught up in the bullshit and make men respect you .Ya know me and him use ta have those kind of talks.

Robert – He wasn’t the thug gangsta that a lot of people; I mean deep down, that a lot of people think that he was.

Gail – No, he was definitely, he was definitely ‘thugged out’ but he had another side to him that a lot of people didn’t see. He was very polite ya know. One time my mother was going thru something and ya know he got on the phone with her and made her feel a lot better about her situation. His words; which everybody knows, he had a way with words that was just unbelievable.

Robert – Will we ever see Tha SwitchBladez album?

Gail – The SwitchBladez album is actually done, we have it done. Right now we are looking for a label that is willing ta push it. People are so scared to deal with female artist; ya know what I’m saying. People are scared to deal with a solo female artist, let alone 4. (we both chuckle) So it is kinda hard to sell that idea.

Robert – Is it because your female artist though or is it because your west coast artist?

Gail – I think it’s both. I think being a female artist is hard enough but then when; when you have a west coast female artist, for some reason nobody wants to even give the west coast a chance.. Ya know it’s kinda like you have to come in and strong-arm people, ya know.

Robert – You have to be one of the best west coast female artist that there is out now, can you really give some kind of explanation why you haven’t got national ‘shine’?

Gail – I think a lot of that has to do with myself, umm I think for along time I kinda been playing and playing the back and not really taking my own career very serious. I kinda just been doing it and I really haven’t went full scale with it. But I think a lot of that has to do with me, I think a lot of it has to do with not having a team behind you; you know ya can’t do it by yourself. So I’m just now really getting my management together, my staff together and Night-N-Gale Entertainment.

Robert – Well for a lot of us that can’t wait—get it together. (laughs)

Gail – Yea I know. I know so. A lot of it has to do different situations so.

Robert – This album is just part of what you got going on right? I mean there is still Night-n-Gail Entertainment.

Gail – Yes Night-N-Gail Entertainment is actually my company. Night-n-Gale Entertainment is who I’m signed to. Ya know I refuse to sign to anybody else’s company when I have my own. It makes no sense to me, and Kurupt taught me that. Ya know, it’s just; it’s stupid.

Robert – Other things I remember being mentioned awhile back were a clothing line called ‘Gangsta Gurl’. Is that still in the works?

Gail – Yea Gangsta Gurl is still in the works, and I’ve actually changed the name to GG Wear for the gurls and it is going to be called G Wear for the guys. And I think how we’re going to do Gangsta Gurl I think it will just be a different branch of GG Wear, ya see what I’m saying. It will be more street. It will have more of the type of; it will be more like the Gail Gotti, see what I’m saying. It will be more of like the Gail Gotti image. And the GG Wear will be more of the GG image. Because they are both me. I have like two separate identities. So you have GG and you have Gail Gotti, ya see what I’m saying.

Robert – Yea, but either way ya know you are Gail Gotti ya know what I mean.

Gail – Yea you are, but there is a time to be Gail Gotti and there’s a time to be GG. Ya know ya can’t be Gail Gotti when your sittin up in business meetings trying to get somebody to give you 2 and 3 million dollars. That’s when you have to turn into GG and put your charm on and get the money out of people. Ya know Gail Gotti is behind the mic, on the stage, at the photo shoots ya know so ya got ta learn when to turn it on and off.

Robert – So will you and Slim be some of the models?

Gail – Yes we both will. I was just talking to Slim, she came over the house last night and I was just sitting down with her going over some of the sketches for the cloths and going over some of the photo shoots and stuff we have coming up. I am really excited about that. Fashion has always been my first love before I was rappin I was a model so

Robert – So when can we look for that to drop?

Gail – The GG line will probably be around summer time. We will probably start with our bathing suits and our lingerie collection first. But it will be a summer time thing definitely.

Robert – There was also some talk about RedBone Radio?

Gail – Ya know what, I haven’t really thought about that. RedBone Radio was something I wanted to do on the internet a long time ago with our web designer John, and then for some odd reason once I mentioned it I didn’t jump on it right away and now everybody does it. I don’t know if that is something I’m going ta get into again,

Robert – What about a RedBone album with you and Slim?

Gail – You will probably get a RedBone album before you get a SwitchBladez album.  The RedBone thing is the next thing me and Slim are going ta start working on. We got a couple different labels that are interested in putting the RedBone album out. So I believe you’ll get that first.

Robert – So with the new web site poppin and the album dropping; for free on your web site, I must add; what else is going on with Gail Gotti. What does the future have for you?

Gail – Just a lot of music. The compilation I am putting out, I plan on dropping one probably like every other month., for free for people. Ya know a lot of people call me crazy when I could be selling it and making money off of it but it’s not about that for me ya know.

Robert – So those will drop on your web site?

Gail – Those will also be on my web site, I’m actually starting to work on my second one right now, which will be out I plan to put that out in January right after the holidays; which will have a whole different line up on there. I’m trying to get Big Gip on that one, and definitely have Spyda on that one, and get something from Young Buck and ya know I am just trying to go places where people don’t expect me to go on that one.

Robert – Well I hope all the haterz and the people that are not familiar with you and your style of fiery spit will take time to visit your site and download this album. Then I know they all will want to hear and see more of Gail Gotti.

Gail – Yea I hope so to and post your feedback let me know what you think cause it keeps me going; even though sometimes they can be pretty brutal.  (laughs)

Robert – Oh yea, I remember Death Rows forums man they use ta be real brutal. (We both are laughing and enjoying the talk)

Gail – Yea they can be pretty brutal but it’s all fun.

Robert – You hung in there and held your own now I’ll tell ya.

Gail – Yea ya know, a couple of times I had to chop a couple of heads off in the forum but ya know.

Robert – Are you still going to post over there?

Gail – I still will be posting over there every once in awhile but I am going to be setting up a forum on my own site in which I’ll be on there live talking to people. I’m just trying to get my own thing crackin right now.

Just for the record – I am in FULL support of Tha Row still, that’s still my family, I still love everybody over there but it’s like when you turn 18 you gotta move out of your momma’s house, ya know what I’m saying. It is like one of those situations. It’s time for me to move out of my daddy’s house, I’m 18 now.

Robert - Any shout outs or anything we missed.

Gail – Naw that’s pretty much it. Give a shout out to all the to all The Blades out there holding it down, The Kustapo Family, Kurupt, Eastwood, Young Tone, Rosco, Baby C Style ya know everybody out there. All the fans, be on the look out: it’s coming at ya. We got a lot of stuff that’s coming at you.

Robert – Well thanks again for the time and I hope nuttin best the best for ya, and give Kurupt and all the crew there a shout out from us. And hope to do this again soon.

Gail – I appreciate you having me

Robert – Ok 1---Peace

Gail – Thanks Robert

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