Still ‘Hard Out Here’ for Mafia

Three 6 begin their post-Oscar attack on the charts

INTERVIEW. With an Academy Award under their belt and the new album, “Last 2 Walk,” rising up the charts, Three 6 Mafia’s front man Juicy J spills on the spoils of Hollywood, why hitting Top 40 doesn’t make the rap group soft, and why he hustles so hard.

After winning the Oscar [for the song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from the film “Hustle & Flow” in 2006], you and DJ Paul filmed “Welcome to Hollyhood,” an MTV reality show about the experience of moving from Memphis to Los Angeles.  How’s life in La-La land?
L.A. got good sunshine, but Memphis got good cooking, so I’m back and forth. I got my house in Memphis and a house in L.A., too. 

Movie checks must be huge — what brought you back to the booth?
We’re not doing Hollywood no more because the fans want more of our music and the music is what got us here. So we have to stick to that, get back out on the road, and hit it hard.

Speaking of hard, your first single, “Lolli,” seems more mainstream than longtime fans might have expected.
We tried to promote “I’d Rather” [as our first single], but the lyrics are so explicit the radio stations couldn’t play it. So we put out “Lolli” — which is the pop record — and it blew up.  We weren’t really expecting it, but I’m not mad. If it puts food on my table then I’m going to roll with it. But the rest of the album is straight Three 6 Mafia, go-to-the -bar-and-get-drunk music. It doesn’t sound nothing like “Lolli.”

What’s your favorite song on the album?
“WeedBlowPills.” It reminds me of the old Three 6 Mafia we used to do back in 1995. It’s gangster, gangster.

Time flies, huh?
I’ve been doing this thing for over 15 years. It’s not every day a black guy can go overseas and hear people say every word to every song.  It’s a blessing.

Now that you’ve toured internationally, where is your favorite place to perform?
I don’t care. I’ll perform in a small venue, a bathroom, a cookout, barbecue, whatever. As long as the fans are happy and I can get a little paper to pay for this high ass [priced] gas. … Please.