Few groups shaped Southern hip-hop the way the Hot Boys did in the late 1990s. The quartet of Lil Wayne, Juvenile, BG and Turk from Cash Money Records helped turn New Orleans bounce and street rap into a national movement. Albums like “Guerrilla Warfare” and hits like “Bling Bling” propelled Cash Money from regional behemoth to cultural empire and broke the door open for Southern rap to dominate the charts, radio and fashion. This is all done on their own terms.
But this success comes naturally.
Time brings turbulence, such as jail time, label tension, personal impact, addiction, and strained relationships. Turk’s character is one of the most dramatic in hip-hop, going from Hot Boys star to being sentenced to eight years in prison and then rebuilding his life through sobriety, business ventures and community work.
In an AllHipHop Q&A with DJ Thoro at WonWorld Studios, Turk talked about loyalty, feeling intentionally left out of key Cash Money moments, the unresolved rift with BG, and how surviving addiction creates new purpose.
AllHipHop: You’re in New York with your family. What’s new in Türkiye right now?
Turk: Man, I’m always moving. I got my book “The Turk’s Self-Effort”. I have another book called Surviving Ho…if you’ve ever been betrayed, I give you a blueprint on how to survive. I also have seasoning. Spicy garlic, spicy lemon pepper, hot salt. I’m messing around in the kitchen, do you feel me? So it makes sense. Think outside the music. But I also released the Joseph album, which to me is one of my best albums. Even though I wasn’t nominated, I was being considered for a Grammy. I’m No. 5 on the iTunes independent chart. I’m with those who were nominated. If I could join one major label, all jokes aside, it would be a major label.
AllHipHop: Do you feel like this is your story and people ignore you?
Turk: I think I misunderstood. You were one of the first people in New York to embrace me. We had a record called “It’s Hot,” which meant a lot to me. A lot of people who are connected to you, when they reach a certain level, they will suffer from selective amnesia. This is my story. How long will it take for you to forget? I can’t forget who I slept on the floor with, in the heat, with no other choice. But people do forget, man.
AllHipHop: Back to “It’s Hot.” You were the only one campaigning for BG when he was imprisoned. What went wrong between you and BG?
Turk: “Only he knows why he did it.” He hasn’t said what I did. “He knows what he did. I know what he did.” When I respond, people are quick to say look, that’s why. No, that’s not the reason. That was the reason before, that was the reason. And you haven’t answered the question yet. I hate to keep talking about it, but we are connected so they always ask. Your story is my story, and my story is your story. People still ask me in jail when we’re going to do “Hot Boys” this and that. And then, by the grace of God, our show was sold out. Wayne didn’t have to accept the situation, but he did. Hopefully this will all go away and we can sit back. If we don’t sit down, respect each other. You go your way, I go mine. It’s all love.
AllHipHop: From the outside, it feels like you’re left out. Why didn’t you participate in the Cash Money vs No Limit Verzuz competition?
Turk: I really don’t know. People looked like he knew them. I have no idea. They can’t tell you why. I believe this is poor communication. If I tell you as someone I don’t know, please don’t tell it to someone I do know. That’s deflection and maneuvering because it’s not actually nothing. I’m not going to go around saying all kinds of things because I really don’t know why they do what they do. Maybe they just don’t listen to others.
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AllHipHop: Birdman yelled at you during the Verzuz game, and that energy struck some fans as weird. (He called Turks “little bitches.”)
Turk: It’s not like there’s no energy for me. That’s how we talk in New Orleans. Shout out to that Turk. I looked at it like they realized that without me and Wayne, this was going to be an epic failure. No Limit came and gave the fans what they wanted. We don’t always have to agree, but we can agree to disagree and move on. I’m an adult. I’m trying to take care of my family. It’s not personal.
AllHipHop: What would you like to see happen in the future?
Turk: I tried everything I wanted to happen. I was doing politics for Hot Boys and it showed. Our sell-out dates were a success. Then we toured outside of Wayne, which wasn’t very successful. Even with Wayne and Live Nation, his contract stipulated that he would only do it if everyone was on board. Wayne was a greater artist and he humbled himself like we have history, these my brothers, let’s pick up the bag. He did so. And then other people get their way and try to put it on me, like it’s me against all of you. That’s for those who don’t know any better. Ten appointments became fewer and appointments were cancelled. I’m not on that tour anymore. I didn’t even think it would be a tour.
AllHipHop: There’s a lot of money left on the table.
Turk: All money is bad money. I am my brand. I will make money with you, I will make money without you telling the same story. My money can’t stop because the world is so big. I’m out of the hole and I use W to see the hole. So I always make the W hole, the whole E.
AllHipHop: You mentioned legal action, can you talk about that?
Turk: Very successful. Just say what should be said, and leave it at that. I let the world see me happy.
AllHipHop: It seems like BG and Birdman have major issues with you. Juvenile even reacted after being interviewed by Drink Champs.
Turk: They have to answer that question. I still don’t understand why Juvi did this. When I was on Drink Champion, I made sure I wasn’t drinking so I spoke clearly. I mean no disrespect to any of them. This is for clarity. But it seems like the more respectful I am, the more people think it’s time to be disrespectful. Disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. I am a man first. I can’t even call it a thing of the past because I’m always reminded of it when they do interviews and try to intentionally ignore me. How would you say Hot Boys without the Turks? What would you say about cash in that era without the Turks? This is intentional. That childish one. I wish them all the best, but if you lie to me, I tell the truth. Telling the truth is not hate.
AllHipHop: As a fan, it feels like a void without you and Wayne on Verzuz.
Turk: Absolutely. If you want to mess with me, you can’t mess with me. When you want to annoy fans, you annoy them. Before this, I already knew I wouldn’t be involved because Baby wasn’t the one funding the project. That’s where the money comes from. They made a decision. Business is business. I’m not pointing fingers. Any promoter who wants to book me, you don’t have to go through any of this. I have my own team and management. Like we had with Wayne, no problem, sold out. This is what you will get. I won’t screw anything up. That childish one. Don’t get mad because I’m telling my story. Don’t be mad I’m doing podcasts and live streaming. Now they did the same thing five minutes later and tried to exclude me on purpose.
AllHipHop: Is your reunion over yet?
Turk: I’ve always been open-minded, but I’m not advocating for a Hot Boy reunion. That wasn’t the first one on my plate. I make money while having sex. I love the content. I have a business outside of music. Turk-N-Rescue, I go and help drug addicts recover because I used to do heroin and cocaine, and I tell them my story to try to save lives. Talk to the kids. I didn’t grow up. I’m not a little boy anymore. You can’t control me. We can work together, but you can’t work me.
AllHipHop: You said you were addicted to heroin. How did you play?
Turk: I’ve tried everything. Cheated on probation, drank bleach to pass the p### test, and damn near committed suicide. Rehabilitation, a 28-day, 6-month program. Spend money. None of these work. In January 2004, I became addicted to drugs. Three days into my drug addiction, I got down on my knees and prayed, telling God that the only way I would stop was if it was life-threatening.
Three days later, the police kicked down my door. SWAT fired 52 times. I wasn’t shot, but I was charged with attempted murder of a police officer. I went to jail. Sentenced to 22 years in prison, 8 years, 8 months and 16 days. I studied there. I discovered who I really am. A relationship with God saved my life. I had to figure out what was important. I went home and did the right thing with my wife and family. I have been clean since 2004, over 20 years ago. It starts in your mind. One second at a time.
AllHipHop: What do you want to leave people with?
Turk: I have no ill will towards them. But I don’t kiss anyone’s ass. Stop making insinuations and be a man. If it’s ok, that’s the solution. Reputation is the cornerstone of power. You can’t ruin my reputation by getting sentimental about something trivial. I didn’t take your money. I didn’t take your life. There should be no problem. If you lie to me, I tell the truth. every time.
