Que Records Releases Statement on Death of Hip Hop Star Huey
“It is with great sadness that we share that a member of the Que Records family has passed on. It was a pleasure to work with Huey for the release of his Redemption album in 2009 with EMI. It was a happy time for us. It was Que Records’ first big release. It meant the world to us and Huey meant the world to us. His death is a tragic loss. Huey and his partner Rhome McGee were doing a lot for their community, hosting events and growing their self-funded clothing line.
The violence has to stop. We can’t only be horrified when white cops kill Black men. We have to equally be concerned when Black men kill Black men. The day that we hold each other in the same value is the day that we finally gain the respect that we deserve as a people.
We send our condolences to Huey’s daughter and to his family and friends. We ask that everyone keeps us in their prayers and not let his vision and dreams die with us. Let’s continue on the path of Black excellence.”
— William “Quayshaun” Carter, Que Records and Que Global Entertainment, CEO
UB sends our condolences to Huey‘s family, friends and fans. We’re celebrating our favorite interviews in the last 15 years. In celebration of our 15 Year Anniversary. With today’s loss of Huey, we wanted to ReVisit our interview with him in 2010.
Huey was born in St. Louis and best known for his debut chart-topping hit “Pop Lock and Drop It,” which was a Top 3 single on the Billboard charts and for being featured on “MTV Jams“, appearances on MTV‘s “Cribs” a performance on the finale of “America’s Best Dance Crew” and for becoming a staple on BET’s “106 & Park” countdown for almost two straight months.
The subsequent remix with T-Pain & Bow Wow only solidified “Pop Lock and Drop It” status as a bonafide smash. Huey‘s debut LP, Notebook Paper, in 2007 featured production from T-Pain, Mannie Fresh, Jazzy Pha and Stargate and it was a Top 5 Hip-Hop debut on the Billboard charts.
After experiencing some delays in securing his release from Jive Records, Huey‘s sophomore LP, “Redemption” was released in 2010. The albums‘s lead-single, “Smile and Wave,” feat. Dorrough was featured on the AOL Music homepage with 30 million plus streams.
In 2010, Dhaani from UB spoke to Huey about his album “Redemption,” his new label situation at the time, and growing up in St. Louis.
Huey also gets candid on his ‘beef’ with NELLY and advice he would give to people interested in getting in the music industry and the curse of “Pop, Lock, and Drop it.”
UrbanBridgez.com: So tell me about Redemption and what was the recording process like?
Huey: The recording process to me was the easiest thing to do besides waking up in the morning. It was natural, nothing was forced and as long as the beats are jamming, the flow comes. As far as the producers I worked with during this album, everything was cool. Basically the title “Redemption” came be because of a three year break since “Notebook Paper” dropped. Everybody was looking for me saying “Where’s Huey” during this time but I had to get myself out of a bad situation. No bad business or hard feelings, I just it wasn’t a place where I could continue to go on. Now that I got me a new situation, I feel more comfortable. I got a better team where everybody is humble and strong. So this new album is definitely for me and my state of mind where I feel I have to redeem myself for my fans. I lot of people missed me and I’ve missed them. Now I’m back and I’m not leaving any more. The album is very strong and as far as features, all I have Colby O’Donis and Dorrough. The reason is I want people to get to know Huey. I want them to know that I can really spit [rhymes]. People need to know I can handle whatever is thrown at me regardless if it’s hip-hop, pop, club —anything. I don’t want folks saying such and such [other rappers] killed that song. No I want them to say Huey killed that song! Once people get to know me then they can look forward to features on my album.
UrbanBridgez.com: So since you’re highly known for ‘Pop, Lock, and Drop it’ and people mainly associate you with it, do you think it’s a blessing or a curse?
Huey: It can be both. For the simple fact “Pop, Lock and Drop It” was a hell of a successful record but people felt like I should’ve put out another dance record. People would ask me all the time to make another dance record but it’s not me, I’m not a dance artist. I won’t say I won’t make another dance record but you have to let people know you’re not that type of artist. It’s a blessing but at the same time it’s a curse.
UrbanBridgez.com: Since you touched briefly on the label situation, tell me how you hooked up with EMI. Do you feel like you’re in a secure place labelwise?
Huey: It’s not necessarily the label; it’s more of an independent thing with a major push behind it. Therefore, I’m not dependent on them to actually get me where I need to be. I’m dependent on the people I trust, the people I have surrounded by me. It’s a team and we have to get us there. Once we have all our stuff together of course EMI is going to give us the projects we need. They’re going to be the backbone for something that we need and everyone at the label seems to be on board for the project.
UrbanBridgez.com: Cool. So moving on to something else…such as beef, what happened between you and Nelly?
Huey: It was a misunderstanding. It was something that basically where I walked up to him [Nelly] when I first got signed to Jive. I told him I just got signed to a major label and he told me congratulations. I was like the label wanted me to do record with someone in St. Louis, are you on? It never got into how much it would cost or what I would need to do. The way he responded to me triggered my emotions. He was like I’m gonna tell you like this, it ain’t gonna happen. I was like damn we haven’t even got into details or anything like that. Just for him to say it wasn’t going to happen like that was him basically saying no I’m not working with you. It triggered my emotions and I walked off. That was that. From that moment on, I felt disrespected. Like I said it was a misunderstanding and it’s done and over with. I talked to all of the Lunatics and everybody’s cool. So we’re trying to get this money together and that whole situation is dead.
UrbanBridgez.com: So how do you think growing up in St. Louis prepared you for a life in the entertainment industry?
Huey: St. Louis, well we call it a crab in the bucket city – everybody’s trying to get out. I feel St. Louis can be bigger than what it is right now if everyone would stick together. Everyone has that mind frame of when I get on fuck everybody else. I want to change that. I have this new DVD coming out called So St. Louis and we got people from radio programmers, local artists or even if you were already on I put together an hour-long DVD. This is the first time this has ever been done in St. Louis but we can’t stop there. I just think St. Louis is going to make me a stronger person.
UrbanBridgez.com: What or who inspired you to become a rapper?
Huey: As a child I was always into music. My mom always had us at church. I sung in the choir, played the keyboard and I was one who always had so much energy. Hell I thought I needed Ritalin! (laughs)
So my mom and my aunts always told me I was going to be something but never knew what. So I started out making beats and I had my mom get me a keyboard. I played around here and there where I started rapping to my own beats. I never took it seriously until I met Shaka Zulu from Disturbing tha Peace. He was doing a video shoot around the corner from my house and we walked around there where I started rapping for him. He asked me if I had a demo, a manager, or if I was signed. So I wasn’t taking seriously enough to have all of those things. Once he told me if I could get one and get it to his label that’s when my mindset changed. I got me a manager, a demo, and five years later here I am.
UrbanBridgez.com: With that being said, what advice would you give the newcomers who are hungry to be heard?
Huey: I would tell them if they wanted to do anything just to keep positive people around them. If they want to do it, they can do it. Just make yourself relevant. Hit the clubs, build relationships with the DJ’s, make flyers and keep it moving to keep from losing. That’s my motto. If someone doesn’t like it, another person will. Remain focused and keep yourselves around positive people. Don’t give up because you will always have haters. You’ll have people that will throw your CD out in front of you. The same ones who do that to you or the ones who called you wack, will be the ones praising you when you make it. In that instance you want to know what to do? Just smile and wave!
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