Sugar Tongue Slim, or STS, is as smooth as they come. The Atlanta-bred emcee/writer got his start with poetry and participated in several Def Jam Poetry events. He moved to Philly to pursue his dream of working with The Roots, but instead crossed paths with all sorts of industry "peeps" who are among the upper echelons of rap. He's had meetings with L.A. Reid and Jay Z, which lead to a short stint on Def Jam, and also landed a meeting with Paul Rosenberg of Shady Records about a deal there. He got a co-sign from KRS-One and recorded music with Nas while Kanye once asked him for poetry advice. He eventually did end up collaborating with The Roots when he became part of Black Thought's collective, the Money Making Jam Boys. Slim's flow is often lightning speed, but is clearly understandable. With his distinct down-south twang, he's drawn obvious comparisons to Outkast. His latest project is with renowned producer RJD2. Simply titled STS x RJD2, the album dropped May 5 via RJ's Electrical Connections. In this interview, we talked about the controversial track, "Good Guy's Anthem," working with RJ and his thirst for poetry. Check out https://soundcloud.com/officialrjd2/sets/sts-x-rjd2 for music.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): I just got off the phone with your man RJD2. What was it like to work with him on this new record?
STS (Sugar Tongue Slim): RJ is real cool to work with. He's laid back. I'm real laid back. We both appreciate music. I think it also has to do with we both appreciate each other's craft. The respect factor that we have for each other. You give each other space to work to do what each other does. It's a 50/50 venture. I write the stuff. He makes the music. We put it together. He actually helped me out with the choruses and melodies. I love to write, but he is a musician. I believe in what he says. It was real fun.
How did you get on to the hip-hop scene? Tell me a little bit about your background.
I'm from Atlanta, southwest Atlanta. The real Atlanta. I moved up to Philly doing poetry. I always wanted to perform on a Roots album. I moved up here and was doing poetry. That was paying the bills and everybody in the hood, you know, everybody can rap. People have bars, bars, bars. A cypher would pop up anywhere. Everybody would be rapping and I'd start doing poetry. Everybody was like, 'Yo, the way you do your poetry, you might as rap and get some money.' I kept rapping, but I was more focused on the poetry. I was running with my man Bless Ice from Def Poetry and we were down at Jazzy Jeff's studio. He was working on his album with Jazzy Jeff and Jazz had a rapper in the studio that knew me from the streets. He said, 'The word on the street is you can rap.' Jazz put on the beat and I started rapping.
Let me get this straight. The first time rapping in a studio was with DJ Jazzy Jeff?
That was the first time I got in the booth and stuff. Before, there was a mixtape store on 11th Street where I used to hang out. They had like a little makeshift booth. The whole establishment was the size of about two cars. It was real small. I used that sometimes. But yeah, Jazz put the beat on and that was it.
Poetry and hip-hop goes together obviously so it seems like a very natural progression for you.
Yeah. For sure.
You look very young. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?
Do I have to tell you my age? [Laughs] I'm not young at all. How old do I look?
You look like you're 25.
25?! Whoo! I'll take that. I will take that. I will take 25. I will take 25. I will take 25 [laughs].
Come on, tell me! I'll tell you. I'm in my 30s, but look like I'm in my 20s [laughs].
You're a journalist! I've watched too many movies.
I'm a good one though. I promise. I'm just curious.
[*For the record- he DID tell me his real age, but true to my word, my lips are sealed! SORRY!!!!]
Oh that's it!? I still feel the same as I did when I was 22. Well, you're doing something right.
[Laughs] I try to eat right and stuff.
I know a Def Jam poet named Idris Goodwin. You should meet. He wrote this book called Break Beat Poems.
Is he from Chicago? He put out that book. Yeah, I was checking it out the other day. You should put us in contact.
You have to meet Karega Bailey, too. He lives in D.C. That would be a collaboration made in heaven.
That's what I want to do next. I want to focus on poetry and stuff. There's a couple poems on the album. "Tennessee Jack" was originally just a poem.
I would love to hear more of your poetry. Back to album. I already asked RJD2 about this, but he told me I had to ask you. On the song "Good Guys Anthem," I wondered what kind of audience you were going after because as a female, I couldn't really envision myself driving down the street blasting it. What's a girl supposed to do [laughs]?
[Laughs] That's why I didn't make the album. It's just put out there for those who need that record. That's the thing. That's for men to feel good about themselves when we mess up and have to apologize. Women should like the record. It's like, look, I messed up. Girls go for the bad boys and they just keep messing up. A good guy, he's going to mess up because he's a man and he has to fight those temptations. That's natural. If he messes up one or two times and you stick with me, it's going to be worth it in the end. Even when you cheat, it's not the same. There's no relationship, no feeling there. A woman shouldn't throw away all that you have built because I messed up.
No, no, no. The man threw away everything you built by cheating. Hello?
But the thing is, alright, so this is my argument. I'm a realist. Men cheat. Men are as good as their opportunity. There comes a point where you say I'm good. But...if you DO cheat and you're trying do right by her, it's a difficult situation. I just wrote that song for somebody who needs that. It's a messed up situation. We mess up. We do.
There's a lot of scandalous women out there, too.
There is. Women can listen to the song and feel the same way. You know?
STS: The RAPstation Interview
Sugar Tongue Slim, or STS, is as smooth as they come. The Atlanta-bred emcee/writer got his start with poetry and participated in several Def Jam Poetry events. He moved to Philly to pursue his dream of working with The Roots, but instead crossed paths with all sorts of industry "peeps" who are among the upper echelons of rap. He's had meetings with L.A. Reid and Jay Z, which lead to a short stint on Def Jam, and also landed a meeting with Paul Rosenberg of Shady Records about a deal there. He got a co-sign from KRS-One and recorded music with Nas while Kanye once asked him for poetry advice. He eventually did end up collaborating with The Roots when he became part of Black Thought's collective, the Money Making Jam Boys. Slim's flow is often lightning speed, but is clearly understandable. With his distinct down-south twang, he's drawn obvious comparisons to Outkast. His latest project is with renowned producer RJD2. Simply titled STS x RJD2, the album dropped May 5 via RJ's Electrical Connections. In this interview, we talked about the controversial track, "Good Guy's Anthem," working with RJ and his thirst for poetry. Check out https://soundcloud.com/officialrjd2/sets/sts-x-rjd2 for music.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): I just got off the phone with your man RJD2. What was it like to work with him on this new record?
STS (Sugar Tongue Slim): RJ is real cool to work with. He's laid back. I'm real laid back. We both appreciate music. I think it also has to do with we both appreciate each other's craft. The respect factor that we have for each other. You give each other space to work to do what each other does. It's a 50/50 venture. I write the stuff. He makes the music. We put it together. He actually helped me out with the choruses and melodies. I love to write, but he is a musician. I believe in what he says. It was real fun.
How did you get on to the hip-hop scene? Tell me a little bit about your background.
I'm from Atlanta, southwest Atlanta. The real Atlanta. I moved up to Philly doing poetry. I always wanted to perform on a Roots album. I moved up here and was doing poetry. That was paying the bills and everybody in the hood, you know, everybody can rap. People have bars, bars, bars. A cypher would pop up anywhere. Everybody would be rapping and I'd start doing poetry. Everybody was like, 'Yo, the way you do your poetry, you might as rap and get some money.' I kept rapping, but I was more focused on the poetry. I was running with my man Bless Ice from Def Poetry and we were down at Jazzy Jeff's studio. He was working on his album with Jazzy Jeff and Jazz had a rapper in the studio that knew me from the streets. He said, 'The word on the street is you can rap.' Jazz put on the beat and I started rapping.
Let me get this straight. The first time rapping in a studio was with DJ Jazzy Jeff?
That was the first time I got in the booth and stuff. Before, there was a mixtape store on 11th Street where I used to hang out. They had like a little makeshift booth. The whole establishment was the size of about two cars. It was real small. I used that sometimes. But yeah, Jazz put the beat on and that was it.
Poetry and hip-hop goes together obviously so it seems like a very natural progression for you.
Yeah. For sure.
You look very young. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?
Do I have to tell you my age? [Laughs] I'm not young at all. How old do I look?
You look like you're 25.
25?! Whoo! I'll take that. I will take that. I will take 25. I will take 25. I will take 25 [laughs].
Come on, tell me! I'll tell you. I'm in my 30s, but look like I'm in my 20s [laughs].
You're a journalist! I've watched too many movies.
I'm a good one though. I promise. I'm just curious.
[*For the record- he DID tell me his real age, but true to my word, my lips are sealed! SORRY!!!!]
Oh that's it!? I still feel the same as I did when I was 22. Well, you're doing something right.
[Laughs] I try to eat right and stuff.
I know a Def Jam poet named Idris Goodwin. You should meet. He wrote this book called Break Beat Poems.
Is he from Chicago? He put out that book. Yeah, I was checking it out the other day. You should put us in contact.
You have to meet Karega Bailey, too. He lives in D.C. That would be a collaboration made in heaven.
That's what I want to do next. I want to focus on poetry and stuff. There's a couple poems on the album. "Tennessee Jack" was originally just a poem.
I would love to hear more of your poetry. Back to album. I already asked RJD2 about this, but he told me I had to ask you. On the song "Good Guys Anthem," I wondered what kind of audience you were going after because as a female, I couldn't really envision myself driving down the street blasting it. What's a girl supposed to do [laughs]?
[Laughs] That's why I didn't make the album. It's just put out there for those who need that record. That's the thing. That's for men to feel good about themselves when we mess up and have to apologize. Women should like the record. It's like, look, I messed up. Girls go for the bad boys and they just keep messing up. A good guy, he's going to mess up because he's a man and he has to fight those temptations. That's natural. If he messes up one or two times and you stick with me, it's going to be worth it in the end. Even when you cheat, it's not the same. There's no relationship, no feeling there. A woman shouldn't throw away all that you have built because I messed up.
No, no, no. The man threw away everything you built by cheating. Hello?
But the thing is, alright, so this is my argument. I'm a realist. Men cheat. Men are as good as their opportunity. There comes a point where you say I'm good. But...if you DO cheat and you're trying do right by her, it's a difficult situation. I just wrote that song for somebody who needs that. It's a messed up situation. We mess up. We do.
There's a lot of scandalous women out there, too.
There is. Women can listen to the song and feel the same way. You know?
