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Lil Scrappy probably isn’t the first rapper fans think of when they hear the words, love and hip-hop. Yet, that’s the exact position Scrappy finds himself in, as a castmember of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, where he appears alongside his baby’s mother, Erica, and his own mother, Momma Dee. In addition to mainstream reality television attention, Scrappy is back to his “Head Bussa’n” ways with his new album, The Grustle. Here, Scrap talks to XXLMag.com about being caught between his baby’s mama and mother on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, his ultimatum toward Bill Cosby, relationship with Young Buck and 50 Cent and if he ever received a dime from the Orlando Police Department.—Mark Lelinwalla

XXL: What’s it like having the cameras follow you around for Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta?

Lil Scrappy: It’s has its good times and it has its bad times. I really appreciate the fact that they gave me the chance to put my baby mama on there, my mom on there and let them know how it goes down in real life. I appreciate getting paid for it. While I’m going through it, I’m getting a check for it. It’s opening me up to a whole different world. I done had the Mob Wives hit me up on Twitter.

You’re a courageous guy, man, because not only do you have your baby’s mother on the show, but you have your mom. How crazy is that?

It’s crazy. They both bust me out on the show too. I had it where they damn-near fought each other before. So, I’m like, ‘At least let me get paid for it.’

Now, your mom and pops have completely different backgrounds, correct?

My mom’s past, the way she wanted to raise me was real. She would keep it away from my sister, but with me, she straight up…I done seen her hiding big ass stashes in the ceiling, putting bread in the floor. I done seen all of that. I done seen mama go upside a bitch’s head with a crowbar and that bitch is shaking on the ground because she tried to get away from my mama and give that money to another pimp. My dad…he’s just cool. He was just a preacher. He’s the exact opposite. I don’t even understand how they got together. Their personality is so far off from each other. If I ever seen ’em hugging each other, kissing each other, I’d pass the fuck out.

How much crazier does the show get?

It’s gonna get crazier, especially with me. I just want people to know me for my music.

Was there hesitation for you going into that show?

Don’t no man go into that type of show and think it’s cool. He has to think about it. You do it for alternative motives. You gotta come in with that like, ‘Okay, this is for the women.’ I gotta go in there and turn it up for a shit. It’s just a big commercial for me.

Talk about your album, The Grustle.

It’s a situation where I had to sit down and analyze what I was doing like, ‘Okay, they may want crunk, but what’s going on now? How’s the music in the world now?’ Where we’re at in music now is people just want to hear good music. They don’t care if you’re a killer…they don’t even care about your past. We got police, dude that done kissed another man. We got all kind of people. It’s just about making good music.

You got a song called “Mr. Cosbi” that takes a very different take of Bill Cosby’s former jello pudding endorsement. Cosby has been a harsh critic of rap music through the years. Do you think he’ll catch wind of your track?

Yeah, either positive or negative, he can say something. If he goes toward the positive, that’s good, we can do a commercial together. Let’s make some more money. If not, I’m cool with making my own video looking like you and getting me a bitch that looks like Claire [Huxtable] (referring to Cosby’s television wife on 1984-1992 TV series, The Cosby Show).

Is that the plan?

Yup. We’re gonna do the whole Cosby thing. He’s either gonna be in it or watch it. I love Bill Cosby. At the end of the day, he’s my granddaddy, but if he don’t fuck with me, then I don’t fuck with him. He needs to cuss, just like I cuss. I’m sure he done fucked more bitches than I fucked. What make him more better than me?

FOR MORE LIL SCRAPPY, GO TO PAGE 2

What are some of your favorite joints on the album?

“Democrat.” That’s about how we all fight for power and we’re all tryna get this money. There’s so much craziness going on in the game, I’m feeling like a Democrat. I like “Ice-T,” because that song means so many things to me. You can translate it and perceive it different. ‘Is he talking about old girl? Is he talking about Ice-T and Coco? Is he talking about crack?’ I was talking about all of them. I got real creative with it.

I see that “Head Bussa” tat you got on your arm and gotta ask you about your take on the whole Chris Brown/Drake club brawl.

Wow…a pop artist and R&B artist. What the fuck? How can ya’ll have any beef? My take is let the bitches do what they do. We supposed to be ni--as, tryna get this money. But at the same time, I know how it feels when you’re heart is broke. I’d just tell ’em to leave it alone. There’s a billion badd bitches in this bitch. There’s so many bitches that look better than my old girlfriend [Laughs].

“Money in the Bank” was arguably your biggest hit to date. What’s your relationship, if any, with Young Buck and 50 Cent? How come the possible move to G-Unit never materialized?

It’s cool, it’s cool. I was just with Yayo the other night. He just wants to work, man. 50 wants to work. 50 hated on my first single, “Money In The Bank.” He was like, ‘What you gonna do, throw money in the video?’ He wanted to keep the crunk thing going. We kind of fell out. He said, ‘I’m just gonna chill on the situation,’ but told me to use the situation. I keep in touch with Buck. I told 50, I would have never [turned my back on Buck]. [50] was kind of tainted by the Game situation. He was up on me, but kind of falling back at the same time.

Years back you threatened to sue the Orlando Police for $250 million. Ever went through with that lawsuit and if so…

[Interrupting] No, I never got a penny from the police. I knew you were gonna ask that! [Laughs]. I was gonna sue them for [$250 million]. I went in the hood and chilled in the hood in Orlando that the cops don’t even come to. In the morning, the dope boys dropped me to the airport and we got the hell on home.

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