Atlanta’s Finest Crunk Rappers: Trillville Reloaded Keeps it Trill

“All I see is me when I walk up in here,” says Lil LA, looking proudly at the many Trillville posters plastered over the red and white walls of the BME Recordings offices, “It’s cool; I love it.” Since Lil Jon discovered Trillville at one of their shows and signed them to his label, the trio of longtime friends divides their time between the studio and these offices, where they work on business, promoting their records and “trying to get money.” Currently, the Atlanta group – L’il LA, Dirty Mouth and producer Don P – is promoting Trillville Reloaded, their follow-up to the debut record they shared with Lil Scrappy.

What’s the best thing about Atlanta?

Don P: The best thing about Atlanta is the whole independent scene, it’s big, it’s real big. It’s easy out here to get a deal, too, like I just got a new deal with my group, Trilltown Mafia, because Atlanta is just on fire! My label is Trillvillers INC. – Trillvillers Incorporated – and we got a deal with Rap A Lot/Asylum records, and you know that’s cause of the whole

Atlanta scene and how we control the weather here. It’s just so wonderful to be part of the Atlanta heritage. You know, a lot of the cities are close in Atlanta, just imagine if Houston and Dallas was not three hours away – imagine if they were 20 minutes or half an hour away. That’s how Atlanta is, all our cities are close together. It just allows us to come together a lot more often.

Has the Atlanta scene changed since you’ve been a part of it?

Don P: We changed it! At first, on the radio, they didn’t listen to the streets in the beginning, but then we proved to the labels and radio that we could make hits out here on the streets, then they started playing a lot of street records. Trillville and Scrappy knocked the door down for all the groups that you seein’ coming out of Atlanta right now. We made labels confident in signing new acts, and we made the radio confident in playing new music, so everybody walkin’ through that door we knocked down nowâÂ?¦ we made the labels confident in signing Atlanta acts, because Jermaine Dupri wasn’t signin’ Atlanta
acts for nothin’ back in the day. He’d go and travel to Chicago, sign someone from Philidelphia, Ohio âÂ?¦ but now he done came to his senses!

How’d you come up with the title Trillville Reloaded?

Dirty Mouth: Well, our first album was presented by Lil Jon, of course, and Scrappy. We had done a joint deal for the CD to bring both of us out. Of course, it went platinum. But now we’re trying to tell the world that we can do it on our own, on a solo tip, that’s why we’re calling it Reloaded, because we reloaded with new hits, and fresher beats, and new hooks – you know what I’m saying, they stick in people’s head, so people’ll be like “Damn, Trillville illz the shit!”

Having worked with him, tell me, how accurate is Dave Chappelle’s impression of Lil Jon?

Lil LA: (laughs) I’d say it’s pretty damn accurate, can you feel me? ‘Cause he does it just like ’em, so I’d have to say it’s like they’re twins or something.

Is Lil Jon really always as hyper as he comes off?

Lil LA: Yeah he isâÂ?¦ well, I mean, there are times when you gotta go to sleep or something, but when if he ain’t sleeping, he’s probably getting crunk as hell somewhere!

What’s your favorite Lil Jon story?

Don P: He was teaching me how to make these tracks, and um, he just kept saying that I’m going to be the next big producer. And that was just the greatest thing that anybody could say, especially coming from Lil Jon. So from then on, I look at myself as the next, and best, and biggest producer coming out. That’s why I had a first single on the Trillville new double platinum album, Trillville Reloaded.

Don, how did you start making beats?

Don P: My mom bought me a keyboard, like a long time ago, because when I was little, you know, like four years old, I used to put rubber bands on my dresser and stretch them out different ways, and I used to play it, like all day long. Just playing it, making beats like, “blung, blung, blung, blungâÂ?¦” like that.

That’s kind of hot – have you ever thought of using rubber bands for a current beat?

Don P: Uh, you know what, I never thought about that! I might have to look into doing that! But anyway, then my mom just bought me a keyboard, and I started playing on a keyboard and never stopped after that.

What would you guys recommend for anyone looking for a gift?

Don P: Trillville Reloaded, of course. Make sure people go on the website, www.trilltown.com for free podcastingâÂ?¦ if they have an iPod, they can get our radioshow, and they can buy all our mixtapes on trilltown.com. And, they can buy this Dub car. It’s a remote control Dub car, it’s got rims in it, and it plays music while you remote control it. You can hook it up to your iPod – it’s a remote control car with beats!