The trio, who took over the Billboard charts for 3 weeks, recently made a trip up to New York City at Universal Music studios and sat down with Defsounds for an in depth interview.
Discussing their humble beginnings and hectic rockstar life, they made sure to represent their style and shout out their favorite Artists in the game, including TI, Michael Jackson, and guilty pleasure, Pretty Ricky.
Sheed: This is Big Sheed on the third verse, I’m the one jumpin in the crowd
Meany: This is Meany from the second verse, I party hard like a rock star, make it rain from center of my grits, so Yeaaaaah!
Fat: This ya boy Fat, and we the Shop Boyz
Defsounds: How did you guys come up with the name Shop Boyz?Sheed: The name Shop Boyz came from umm in our community we used to fix on cars a lot u know what I’m sayin’ and one day we were fixin on dem cars in the community and this girl walks by and her name is Shaniqua, she walks by and says ” Ya’ll the Shop Boyz, ya’ll gonna be the Shop Boyz”, and ever since she be seein us and say ” Shop Boyz how ya doin, what’s happenin?” , and we were like ok we the Shop Boyz then and it stuck with us, it’s been a long time so we ran with it like that.
Defsounds: Ok,so you guys were fixin cars before the rap game?All Three: Yeah
Defsounds: Who influenced you guys when growing up? Who did you listen to?Sheed: Growin up, I listened to Kilo Ali, he from the same neighborhood where we from, Tupac, Biggie, you know all the real ones, but the ones who influenced us was D4L and the Franchise Boyz, cause they from the same neighborhood that we from, ya know what I’m saying we really grew up with them, we went to school wit em, and when we saw them doing what they doing, we were like, it can really happen. Ya know?
Defsounds: Aight, the title of the track that helped you guys blow up, “Party like a Rock Star”, why did you choose to party like a rock star and not a hip hop/rap star?Sheed: Ummm, I can basically explain it like this, rap stars and rock stars are basically the same thing, but the sound is different. Rock star is rap, rap star is rap, you feel what I’m sayin? There is no fit definition for a rock star or a rap star, you feel what I’m sayin? We made the name, yea you a rap star, not a rock star.
Fat: Crazed you a rock star in your own way. Feel me? In your own way.
Sheed: It’s really no difference. Don’t focus on too much on rock star, focus on the party like, the “partying”, you get what I’m sayin? People focus so much on little things, they try to break every lil thing down, and see what is wrong, and they miss the whole point of what we trying to say. If you listen to it, there is no killin on our song, it ain’t talking about sellin no drugs, we just simply sayin party, party like a rock star!
Sheed: Me personally, and I don’t know if I speak for everyone else, but I’m pretty sure I am, we takin it one day at a time, we partyin one day at a time, you know I’m sayin, like we livin up to what we sayin. I mean we first was always partyin like a rock star anyways, but we just wasn’t doin it from city to city to city, but now we can expand our party mode, and that’s what we doin, livin up to it.
Defsounds: Now with this single out, when are we going to hear a new single and what is it going to be? What can we look forward to?Sheed: Our next single is gonna be, “They like me”, produced by David Banner, it kinda goes away from the, “Party like a Rock Star”, and goes towards the urban people, deliver to our urban people, to know we ain’t tryin to go away from them, they respect what we do, but we showin them. The third single, probably be, “Totally Dude”, and it’s going back to the, “Party like Rock Star”, you feel what I’m sayin? So it’s planned out perfectly, and plus a lot of people are tryin to do the Hip Hop/Rock Star thang, so we gonna try to go away from it, watch what they do with it whateva, then we gonna show them how to do it again?
Defsounds: So for the readers who don’t have the album, why should they go out and cop it?Fat: Man, for the people who don’t have the album, they need to go out and get it. For one, it caters to everybody. You might not like a song on there, but I guarantee you will like the album though. You got my word.
Meany: You should get the album because, like Fat said, it got music for everybody. Your grandmama, you momma, your auntie, your lil kid, your brother, your cousin, and yo dog. GO GET THE ALBUM!
Sheed: Man they cleared up everything, like I can’t even say anymore. Ya know, same thing, we make different music for everybody. All jones, black, white, Mexican, Puerto Rican, African, Chinese, whateva you know? So we know all people don’t like all the same music. Some people might not like straight urban music, everybody don’t like country, everybody don’t like rock music, so we made music for each one.
Defsounds: On the album, was there someone you wish you could have worked with, but didn’t get the chance to on this album?Sheed: Yeah man, I would have liked to work with Nelly, cause of his fan base. If we made a video with Nelly, all the girls gonna look at that video cause they love Nelly, you know what I’m sayin? He has a lot of fans.
Meany: I wanna work with TI, cause he got a lotta energy in his show, you know what I mean?
Fat: Michael Jackson! Mike if you reading this, anybody who knows Michael Jackson, tell Mike, we need to go into a booth, set it up! We ready, when you ready Mike! We can make it happen Mike!
I BELIEVE IN YOU MIKE!
Defsounds: Haha, We’ll make sure to get the word out! So now what are you guys going to do to stay fresh in the game?Sheed: I mean right now we already working on our second album, and our album been out seven months, no wait two month.
Meany: A month. Man it ain’t even out a month. Two weeks!
Sheed: Yeah man we tired, it’s been out for maybe two weeks, and we already working on our second album. So we staying focused, and trying to bring a new sound. You know.
Defsounds: Do You guys consider yourselves hip hop artist or fit under that genre right?Sheed: Yes sir
Meany: We don’t comment on that.
Sheed: That’s personal opinion.
Defsounds: So now with that statement made, what sound you guys feelin’ right now?Sheed: Whooooo me, I’m speaking for me, I don’t know man,
you might laugh, but I like Pretty Ricky man.
I like they sound, they different, ain’t nobody makin music like them.Meany: Me, I like Lil’ Wayne, cause he say whateva he wanna say.
Fat: Me, ha, i like Outkast, TI, all TI.
Defsounds: Ok, you know I have to ask you guys this question since you’re from the south, but how do you feel about Lil Wayne sayin he is the greatest rapper alive?All three: We don’t comment on stuff like that.
Defsounds: What about 50?Sheed: I like 50. Put it like this, we like all rappers who doin they thang. Everybody, doin they thang, whoeva say they the best at what they do, we respect them, they claimin’ what they feel. We feel like we the best, at what we do, and I hope they respect that too you know what I’m saying.
We feel like we the best, and no one can mess with us at what we do, and you should feel like that and everything you do, so we not disrespecting nobody, we love Lil Wayne music, TI, 50, The Game, all artist, you know what I mean?
Meany: Me personally, I like it when people say they the best, because that makes everybody else step they game up, you know what I’m sayin? So it’s like if I say I’m the best, my group members are gonna try out do me. It makes everybody more creative, more better.
Defsounds: Ok guys, any last words for the readers of Def Sounds that you want them to know or anything I didn’t cover?Fat: Get the album! Put God first and, “Party like a Rock Star.”
Sheed: Look out for our second album, it’s coming real soon, look out for the mixtape, and put God first.
By Liz Rosario & Murs Khan [Crazedhiphop] For DefSounds.com
COMMENTS
lol who theez dudes?
ha its quite normal with how they came up with their name
they betta thank shaniqua
Tur on yo TV and all u See is the A, u niggaz better keep snapping yo fingers to get radio play lol
I guess they will have 2 but haven't seen a cat from the d on tv in awhile u
i didnt read shyt! i know they wack cuz i heard all they songs. now GO BACK TO BEING MECHANICS!!! PLEASE! Yall dont even look like yall fix cars! LOL!
a real question....what do a person who fix cars look like?...
TOTALLY DUDE!!!!!<<<<<<lmao
BITCH ASS JULIO
hatemebytch i dont listen ta dey asses neither but dey got way mo money den u so quit hatin on dem niggas dey jus tryna make money
Good luck 2 the Shop Boyz, http://www.datpiff.com/Str8-Business-The-Eay-Money-Mixtape-mid3190.html
Lil Wayne, Jim Jones & Chamillionaire - Party Like A Rockstar (No Shop Boys Mix) this version is muuuucch better than the original
i read this and all they trying to do is make money wtf why would u hate on that????some ppl be writing they suck and this and that but whatever atleast they trying to come up bet yall aint doing shit!!!!!!!!!
The thing is, "just trying to make money" is what's wrong with hip-hop.
These Niggas Said, They Were influened, By D4L And Dem Franchise Boys....ENUFF SAID...............UGHHHHHHHHHHH
Yup i stoppend reading after that too. Only cause i was laughing so hard. But besides that these dudes seem like real niggas. Sure their music is bad but they living their dream i guess.
lmao hell yea what the fuck. da song is trash the lyrics are just disgusting we wont be hearin from them no time soon and whats up wit dis rockstar bullshit why everybody wanna be a rockstar?
i stopped readin after that
LMAO!!!!
Defsounds: Do You guys consider yourselves hip hop artist or fit under that genre right?
Sheed: Yes sir
FUCK OUTTA HEAR YALL AINT HIP HOP ARTIST YALL RAPPERS SIMPLE AS THAT RAPPERS HIP HOP AINT YALL WACK COMMERICAL BULLSHIT
DESE NIGGAS GONNA DISAPPEAR ANYWAYZ DEY GONNA END UP ON DAT COUNTDOWN ON HERE WIT DA ONE HIT WONDERZ
Party Like A Rockstar
2 hit wonders! & thats all Im giving them!
these guys r fuckin wack they make one good song nd now they ballin mannn this another one hit wonderr shit fuck thesee homos.... one might go big cuz thats usually how it goesss..
i hate that song it come on too much
NO HATE IN THE GAME FOR ME. THEM NIGGAS SEEM LIKE REAL NIGGAS I MEAN AT LEAST THEY WAS WORKING BEFORE THE GO IN. I LOVE TO SEE THAT CUSE THAT WHERE IM AT. I AIN'T BUYING THE ALBUM OR BOOTLEG BUT I DAMN SURE AIN'T HATIN ON THEIR PROGREES. THEY NEED TO JUST KEEP DOIN THE DAMN THING.
Good interview.. they seem to be very humble and honest. Their album wasn't that bad either.
They cool, y'all need to quit the hate..
Yeah these boys are cool dudes n all but i think im rockstar'd out yo i turn on the tv its on, turn on the radio its on, go to the store somebody is singin it DAMN. unfortunately I think theyre career might be short lived because they certainly arent content rappers, and once the "rock" craze is over i see them making an attempt at a follow up single with a 50/50 chance of success,but who knows I sure dont...I do like that totally dude track though..
must be \Super Woman/ MsClarkKent
even though most of you are hating on shop boys they still did there own thing with hood rock style they werent just another group of people from the a who got signed to a record company because the company thinks it will promote sails...okay maybye they were but they were new and original
yo much props to the SHOP BOYZ Keep doing your thing
These niggaz are dumb as fuck and have NO talent. just look at this shit, it makes absolutely no fucking sense at all.
Sheed: Ummm, I can basically explain it like this, rap stars and rock stars are basically the same thing, but the sound is different. Rock star is rap, rap star is rap, you feel what I’m sayin? There is no fit definition for a rock star or a rap star, you feel what I’m sayin? We made the name, yea you a rap star, not a rock star.
Fat: Man, for the people who don’t have the album, they need to go out and get it. For one, it caters to everybody. You might not like a song on there, but I guarantee you will like the album though. You got my word.
They should stick with fixing cars
Shop Boyz: From Fixing Cars To Hip Hop Rock Stars
Lmao These niggas suck need to go back in fixin cars there rap career is over fuck rock and roll these niggaz aint stars if they came to my city nobody would know who they are ; shit they might get fucked up too
Nice work crazed on the interview... They really are some down to earth cats..
And why yall hatin on these cats for doing they thing.. I know most off y'all wish u was in the position they was in right now.. They might not put out chill out lay back music, but they do that shit for the clubs.. Females in the clubs stya wildin when they hear the Boyz shit come on
What is that tits (.)(.)tits
mugz on dis site iz STR8 HATERS. Dese jus a bunch ov young niggas tryna make it n mufuccas cant accept. No matter how much ppl say dey suck, dey tryna do wut makes dem happy n if dey feel dey a success. let em b. N dey said dey like "dem franchise boys" n "d4l" cuz dey 4rm tha same neighborhood, so dey seein it like if dis person can make it, dey can 2. Y u thnk mufuccas move out da hood after dey get a lil money? CUZ OV HATERS! YALL WOULD TRY 2 GET EM EVRY CHANCE U COULD GET! Itz a shame 2 c ppl who wunna STAY in tha gutter all dere life n try 2 knock EVRYBODY datz tryn 2 get out. PITIFUL!!!!!!
i feel what your saying but you dont have to put an accent on the words that you type
"but the ones who influenced us was D4L and the Franchise Boyz, cause they from the same neighborhood that we from, ya know what I’m saying we really grew up with them, we went to school wit em, and when we saw them doing what they doing, we were like, it can really happen. Ya know?"
D4L, Franchise Boys? Yea, I'd place this group of homos in the same category. What a joke. Shop Boys moved a total of what, 50,000 units?
Not to mention, I'd smack any nigga who yoked "totally dude" while standing next to me.
Good guys but this is the end of the cross rode for them...
i agree 2 hit wonders but i ain't hatin
how can you not hate these niggaz suck
"but the ones who influenced us was D4L and the Franchise Boyz,"
after that i was done wit the interveiw real talk.
how can you be influenced by wack sauce...no wonder they only riped 8 bars per verse.
these niggas are HUUUUFFFFFFF!!!!!
These are the most washed down black people on earth.These niggas gave up there getto passes to white boyz.There CD suck and the wish they were white.The shop boyz is a boyband NOT and i mean NOT a rap group
ANd take off them tight ass shirts.Yall with never get respect in the hood with that shit on.these niggas traded in the jeans and air forces for some beach shorts and sandels.These niggas killed hip hop not D4l and franchise boyz.These niggas is why we listen to stupid shit like do the superman on that hoe or the spiderman.That shit is corny
I'm from the South, and I must say, the South has killed hip-hop.
You cant kill hip-hop. Hip-Hop lives on the internet now and the shop boyz are garbage
can you say one hit wonder?
i agree 1 hit wonder. i haerd thsi jint party like arockstar and i just didn't get it what ar they trying to be. i mean the y aint rappers but they aint rockers. all they are tryin to do is get everyone to prep them. its like gettin green day and gettin them to rap i mean what that all about.it sounded like really cheap crunk to me. hope i dnt hear of these again.
man come fix my ride i got a 1996 pontiac bonneville
totally dude!!
I CANT WAIT FOR DA DAY WERE DESE BASTARDS DIE OR QUIT WAT DA FUK IS PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR DER RAPPAS NOT SOME ROCKSTAR ACTAS
I MEAN DEY AINT REALLY RAPPAS BUT der bastards dat cant do shit