Troy Ave Salutes New York DJs
Troy Ave
Manager: Hovain HyltonCompany: BSB Records
The Road To The XXL 2014 Freshmen Cover: We was up for consideration last year. We were saying, this year we're gonna make it so we can’t get left off next year. Put out these tapes. We hit the road. We put out quality videos. We had a strong one on radio. So we made sure we didn’t leave it to chance. We didn’t want to take anything for granted. We had a song on radio and we were still going hard with the CDs. We were actually physically in the streets with CDs. We weren’t just leaving it to the Internet. The strategy was to leave no stone unturned. Really, just to go hard.
When Vanessa called us up to the office—it was me and Troy in the office. He was supposed to be there for his pitch and they was talking to him about why they should make it. He was like, "Man, I am not doing that. I am not pitching why I should make it. I’m hottest in New York, I should make it." He gon' make it, he gon' make it. If he not, fuck it, we don’t care. She was like, "Oh, I’m joking! He made it."
It wasn’t really a pitch, it was just saying why he should make it. Facts. "I should make it because of this. If not, fuck it. I don’t care. I am going to be a millionaire anyway." It was the truth. It was like watching somebody. You like watching a movie, and you agreeing. "That’s right. You should have made it last year." But whatever, we didn’t make it last year. When we started talking this year, it was just like watching someone tell the truth.
It was validation. People try to act like XXL Freshmen ain’t shit. That shit is a fucking benchmark. It’s a standard. This is something that they can never take away from you. XXL Freshman Troy Ave. It’s like you won an Oscar. Like, Oscar-Winner. These are the things that you want to have along the way to a successful career. Being in the NBA, I want the Rookie Of The Year. Then I am gonna get the MVP. Then I'ma get a championship. Now, I’m one of the Freshman. I'ma do this deal and make some hits. We always remember being a Freshman. That’s something you want. You are not being honest with yourself if you are a rapper and you say you don’t care. You don’t care? You do care, but you just don’t think you are gonna make it. —As told to Eric Diep
Troy Ave returned to Power 105 to talk with The Breakfast Club and he had his Brick Star Boyz with him. The 2014 XXL Freshman talked about his time at the shoot for the XXL cover, his relationship with 50 Cent along with his work with Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.
While he on the mic he spoke on how the support of New York DJ's was key to his rise. "I always say 'salute the DJ's.'" the Freshman said "Y'all actually broke a New York artist. You hear the dumb type of suggestions. 'You have to go out of town first. Get your music broke then come back.' Why would I do that? I'm from New York."
Troy is going to need that hometown support as he builds his a foundation for his BSB crew. The Brooklyn native is confident in his team's ability.
"I got my homies together. We on Volume 4 right now. We restoring the feeling. We the hottest group in the city. Sometimes they say I sound cocky or whatever. I'm mad humble. I'm blessed," Troy explained "What we basically did was restore the feeling of old. Whether it be G-Unit and Dipset. That whole mixtape type of vibe and sounding like the city."
Watch the full interview with The Breakfast Club below.
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