UB Celebrates #HipHop50: ReVisit Emerging Rapper Dolla’s UB Interview

It’s day two of UB Celebrating Hip Hop 50 and today we spotlight someone we saw mad longevity in, emerging rapper Dolla.

Dolla was born, Roderick Anthony Burton II in Chicago on November 25th, 1987 and moved with his family to Los Angeles and later to Atlanta.

Dolla was born a twin, his twin brother unfortunately died at birth as mentioned in his song “Ghetto Prayer.”

Dolla witnessed his father commit suicide at the age of 5. He began his music industry journey at the age of 12 when he would frequent talent shows and studios along side rhyming partners Scrappy and Sas of Da Razcalz Cru.

The group of cousins includes “Love & Hip Hop’s” Scrapp Deleon, who spotlighted Dolla in a scene on the series.

In 2003, the group signed with Elektra and released the single “So Fly.” Their full album was shelved and the group later dropped. Dolla did some modeling for Sean John, which included having a towering billboard in NYC.

Having a natural entrepreneur spirit, Dolla counted the rise and fall of Da Razcalz Cru as a learning experience. The Atlanta artist continued to write rhymes, but not just for his personal use. He turned it into a business and began composing and selling songs to signed and unsigned artists.

Wanting to emerge from the shadows of ghostwriting, he began to work on a solo project where his writings are his lyrics, not someone else’s.

The kid from Atlanta, with music in his blood, was on his way to the big league in the industry.

Releasing several mixed tapes as well getting placement with his single, “Feelin’ Myself” on the “Step It Up” soundtrack, released in summer of 2006.

“I know I was doing an interview the other day and the person said Hip-Hip is dead and I was like no the fuck it isn’t! Hip-Hop is doing good. I mean if anything I feel it’s missing the story & social awareness songs on albums.

Like with a lot of the new artists, I can listen to their albums and then soon after that I forgot it and them. When people listen to my album, they’re going to remember me and remember the music.”

After returning to Atlanta to focus on a solo career, he was approached by Akon to sign to his Konvict label. Honing into his resources, Dolla didn’t just settle for a record deal.

He launched his imprint The Gang Entertainment, with partner and friend Damian ‘T-Money’ Jackson, turning his contract into a joint venture and doing it all, under the age of 20.

In December of 2007, the first single he released after the deal under Konvict/Jive was, “Who The Fuck Is That?” and it immediately blew up at radio.

The track and especially the remix, received significant airplay overall, featuring T-Pain and Tay Dizm.

Dolla indeed proved he could compete with the heavy weights.

In 2008, Dolla released the mixtapes “Another Day Another Dolla” and “Sextapes: The Art of Seduction.”

His record label released “I’m Fucked Up” that summer, in preparation of his debut album.

“A Dollar and A Dream” was the title of his highly anticipated debut album. Described as “a mirrored masterpiece of his life…” and the second step towards his dream. “This album is the world to me, it’s my baby. It took me nine months to make it and it is all of me. It is a big deal to me and my family,” Dolla stated to Billboard.

The first official lead single to “A Dollar and A Dream,” was for the song “Make A Toast,” released in November 2008. The single entered the Billboard R&B Charts and featured a remix with Lil Wayne.

While gearing up for the release of his album, Dolla made a cameo appearance, in label-mate Ciara‘s “Never Ever” video.

Dolla was in and out of the studio putting the finishing touches on his album, which continued to delay the project.

On May 18th, 2009, Dolla was shot and killed at the Beverly Center mall parking garage in L.A. He was 21, at the time of his death.

Roderick Anthony Burton II, arrived at LAX from Atlanta earlier the previous morning. Reported to UB at the time by his label. Dolla was in L.A. to record some more tracks for his debut album, which was due out in the late summer.

“He had a promising career. He was being hyped as the next Tupac. He chose music to get off the streets,” his publicist Sue Vannasing stated.

Below is the archived interview, Aries from UB conducted with Dolla in March of 2008.

UrbanBridgez.com: You’re young, but you’ve been in this industry for awhile, tell me about how you got your start?
Dolla: Man I started doing local shows like at High School’s and talent shows and things like that. Then I joined this group and we started traveling and doing the same type of shows just in different states. Then we got a deal, flew to New York and started working on an album. Akon actually worked on the album and after awhile, it got shelved. Me and Akon just stayed in contact every since then.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about your debut album A Dolla & A Dream?
Dolla: Well it’s my debut album, it’s my life through my eyes. It’s a classic to me and the people that I have let hear some of it have agreed. To me a classic is an album that consist of everything, you know. Like a story. I have the club joints, the party joints, the struggling songs, the up-lifting songs, I’m black, so the black pride songs. Just everything that has been apart of my life. I don’t have any features on this album, because it’s my first album. I want people to get to know me first.

UrbanBridgez.com: The single “Who The Fuck is That” is blowing up, what made you go with it for the lead single? Were you a little nervous about getting it played with the title?
Dolla: It just to me was the single to go with. Yeah I have to admit, I was a little nervous about it. I knew also with it being my first single as an artist, some was going to give me hell regardless. So that made it a little bit more uneasy. But it’s been excepted and it’s getting mad love. We went in and recorded the edited version for radio, but you know honestly I have never even heard that version on the radio. I always hear the original version just with the crash sound over fuck. I enjoyed working on that song. T-Pain came up with the concept, Tay the production & I did the lyrics. You know what else? The night we finished the song we took it to Magic City (Strip Club in ATL) and they played it & they loved it.

UrbanBridgez.com: How is it working with Akon?
Dolla: Akon is Big Bro to me man. I’ve known him since I was 12 and I’m 20 now. I’m always excited when I know I’m about to go into the studio with him. Like now, I’m about to go in with him again, I’m finishing the album now and he is going to do about 3-4 more songs, so I’m looking forward to getting back in with him. It’s always a pleasure to work with him, he’s very talented.

UrbanBridgez.com: What if anything do you want to bring to Hip-Hop that you feel has been missing recently?
Dolla: You know what I feel Hip-Hop is missing right now? Substance. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love where Hip-Hop is right now, so I don’t wanna come off like I’m bashing it. I know I was doing an interview the other day and the person said yeah well Hip-Hip is dead and I was like no the fuck it isn’t! Hip-Hop is doing good. I mean if anything I feel it’s missing the story & social awareness songs on albums. Like with a lot of the new artists, I can listen to their albums and then soon after that I forgot it and them. When people listen to my album, they’re going to remember me and remember the music, because I touch on so many things it’s not all about the same thing.

UrbanBridgez.com: ATL is definitely the hot spot for talent, what separates you from some of the other Hip-Hop artists that have emerged from there like T.I., Outkast, etc.?
Dolla: Oh Shit, let me first say I think T.I. & Outkast are incredible. As for me, on my album the songs are about me. Really, I should of just named the album, Me! The songs are about everything I’ve dealt with and went through. From growing up till now. If there is a song on my album, it’s something I went through or saw with my eyes. I’m talking about when I party, the life I have lead and the things I have seen, dawg I even talk about me having sex on my album. It’s just all me and my life.

UrbanBridgez.com: Who were some MC’s that inspired you coming up while you were creating your own style and format?
Dolla: Man it’s so many, I have to say Andre3000 is my favorite MC. T.I., Jay Z, Pac, Scarface, 8 Ball & MJG, just really all the greats. I have to say I listened to Cassidy’s latest album and he’s hot too.

UrbanBridgez.com: You took a trip to the Playboy Mansion I see on your MySpace, how was that experience?
Dolla: Man that was the shit! As you seen in the pics, man I took my brother, my cousin and a bunch of niggas from the hood. I tried to get as many extra tickets as I could get. And I mean real niggas from the hood, just so they could experience that with me. It was wild, we had a good time.

UrbanBridgez.com: When can your fans expect to see you on the road?
Dolla: I’m actually on the road now. Like four days a week and 5 shows a week. You know how a bunch of rappers be saying like I ain’t dong no promo tour, ain’t no money in that. I’m like fuck that! I am doing all the promotion I can do, in every market I can. I want people to see how I look, act, talk, dress, sound, everything! So they know who I am and remember me!

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Dolla: Hit up my MySpace page, it’s really me that responds to your messages. Check me out on Rap City, I filmed it today. I hosted one day and I’m the guest on another episode. I did the Black Carpet as well for BET. One Rap City airs Saturday and the other March 4th. Me on Black Carpet airs March 6th. I want to thank my fans because if it wasn’t for them and their support, I wouldn’t of been able to do those shows. I also wanna big up all the people at Jive and Konvict for their support and hard work. Oh yeah and I’m #2 on 106 and Park, that’s a good look, thanks to the fans for that! Oh yeah, I got a new mixtape about to drop also! I want my fans to know that this rappin shit is my life, it’s for real. It’s not no pretend shit like with some of these dudes. I do this shit for real!

Take Some Time To Remember Dolla, Apart of Hip Hop 50!

Roderick “Dolla” Burton (November 25, 1987 – May 18, 2009).