Antwon Owens, aka Tweezy, is positioning himself for great success in the music industry. The 19-year-old Huntsville rapper is set to release his first two mixtapes in the near future and will follow up soon after with a debut album. In addition, he's building what he hopes will one day become a global empire, his label, G&G Entertainment. During a recent interview, we spoke with Tweezy about all things hip-hop. Read on to find out what he had to say about Alabama's Hip-Hop industry.
What do you think about Alabama's Hip-Hop industry?
"I hear a lotta people say, 'There goes another Alabama swag.' I hear people saying that all the time. You wouldn't imagine how many people I [hear] saying that. But we vary in style. We can have stuff that everybody can listen to: up north, west, east, all that. We're [not just] all about this dope... We got a lotta good people. Like on your website, Alabama Worldwide. I hear some people on there that I ain't never thought that I would hear in Alabama. I'm thinking I'm the one with the swag up in here, and I hear a lotta good people on there - Lil Nardy, Countryboi Tweet - I'm listening to all that. I'm like 'God, these dudes, they doing it. They're on something I'm trying to get at.' And Alabama, we just not there right now. Shout out to Rich Boy. Shout out to Gucci. They're doing their thing, but who else [can you] name?
Do you think Alabama gets the respect it deserves from people outside the state?
Nah. Not at all. Not at all.
What about from inside the state?
Inside of the state, everybody knows what's going on. Everybody knows that we can spit. Everybody knows what kind of artists we got. Everybody knows what we can do. Because they're here. And they listen. They don't just see the outer appearance and...[judge] a book by it's cover before they even get to it.
Do you think that Alabama's artists are supportive of each other?
Yeah. I pretty much think we are because we all have the same kinda mentality of what we want to happen. We want Alabama to blow. We all talk about it. I got people writing me everyday from Alabama talking about...'We need to put the Bama on.'… And it's not just a city that they're naming. They're not saying we need to put Huntsvegas on or we need to put Mobile on or Birmingham. They talking bout the Bama. They want the Bama on the map. Most of the time, you hear people talking about 'I'm finna put the "A" on the map. I'm finna put Atlanta [on the map].' We're talking about the whole Bama. We want everything on.
What do you think is the future of Alabama's hip-hop industry? Do you think we'll ever get that place on the map?
Yeah. We will... We gon' get our shine. Especially with people like you trying to help us out. We don't really have the material that Atlanta has and all that, but what you're trying to do, you're trying to build you a base, and once you get your base together, I see you doing a lotta things for Alabama.
Thank you. I hope I will.
I know you will ‘cause I just see it happening. When you wrote me that message [requesting an interview], I was like, 'Alright. Here we go... This is the blow-up right here. We finna' start it off.
Thank you! What do you think is the best thing about being an artist from Alabama?
Being an artist from Alabama. That’s what I think the best thing is. And being able to…put that country-ness all up in your swag …and just have that confidence that ‘Yeah. I'm from the Bama.’ "Alabama artist" explains itself if you ask me.
What do you think is the worst thing about being an artist from Alabama?
Being an artist from Alabama. Not being able to have the exposure we need and always have to ...I always hear people telling me, 'you need to go to Atlanta.' Man, why do I need to go to Atlanta? I like Alabama. I like where I'm at now. I don't wanna go to Atlanta and showcase my music. I wanna showcase it in Alabama. I want my people to feel me.
Who are your favorite artists from here in Alabama?
I really admire Rich Boy a lot. I'll tell you that. And myself of course.
Who do you think is the next Alabama artist to make a big buzz on the national or international scene?
Not on no cocky stuff, but me. I see myself doing it. I got too many ideas and too many thoughts, and like I said, the little mixtape I got,...You Heard That, But You Ain't Heard This, that’s on instrumentals, but we flippin' the script on instrumentals. We ain't even trying to sell it. We just wanna get our name out there. Cause I got a couple of homeboys who tearing the track up. I got a dude in Decatur that can go on Smack DVD right now and tear it up. Go up in there and make a stand from Alabama. Go up in there and tear it all up. [But] how we gon' get that? ... They all the way up in the North and they ain't really trying to hear nobody from Alabama talking bout he can freestyle, he can spit, he can battle.
How do you feel about the state of hip-hop in general right now?
"...Basically, it's still hip-hop. People always talking bout hip-hop dead and all that. It's not dead. It's just like everything else. With age, some stuff is gonna change: clothing, people, music, everything is gon' change. Hip-Hop is still Hip-Hop. Just because the swag is different, just because people have made...dance tracks - that ain't really my style, but it's still hip-hop. They still spitting lyrics. They still rapping. They still doing they thing. I get tired of people hating on Soulja Boy and all that. Man, forget that. You got people with different styles. Styles is constantly gon' change. What we supposed to do? Just stay in one era and keep it going from there? People gon' get tired of hearing that. You gotta switch it up. Styles gotta be different.
