Young Scooter Still Speaks To Gucci Mane And Waka Flocka Flame, Readies New Mixtape

A lot has happened since Young Scooter's been in jail; the past six-plus months have seen a worsening in the rift between Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka, the mainstream coronation of Future, and, of course, Gucci's infamous Twitter rant that resulted in his admission of lean addiction and a spot for him in rehab once he gets back out of prison. But now that Scooter's out of jail—he was released last Monday (October 21)—he's headed straight back to the lab, writing for his upcoming mixtape Street Lottery 2 and gearing up for an album to come soon afterward. Right after he got out, XXL caught up with Young Scooter to ask him 10 questions about being out of jail, the current situation with Waka and Gucci, and what he's got on the horizon. —Emmanuel C.M. (@ECM_LP)

How are you doing?
Oh I’m good, just going into the studio, ain’t nothing change. Straight working, I’m in the studio now. Spent some time with my kids then went straight to the studio and went back to work. Working on Street Lottery 2. We got a lot of fans who supporting me so I cant let them down. My fans, that’s all I got. That’s what makes any artists, your fans.

The first single for Street Lottery 2 is with Cam’ron. How was it working with him?
It was good, Cam's hard working. I like Cam’ron because he is so street, [and] that’s the lane I chose, that’s where I’m from, the streets. I linked up with him through one of my peoples, we reached out to him, and we reached out to his manager and told him I really want to work with him.

Who are the producers you're working with for the album?
Zaytoven and a couple more other producers I got. I like to just keep things simple and the same folks I’ve been with and the same lane I’ve been in because that’s what my fans like so I don’t want to go out the way to be something that I ain’t. I’m not saying it ain’t good, but I just want to stay in my own lane. [I do] count music. It means if you want some money you need to listen to Young Scooter. I’m doing new songs, and I have some that I did before jail, but I don’t write my music, I just go and punch in. I’ll probably do a whole song in like 20 to 30 minutes. It ain’t always been that, it's just a method that I picked up really being in the studio with Future, with Gucci. Around them you going to have to go hard.

How do you personally feel about the whole Gucci Mane situation?
I don’t know, I guess it just happened. I don’t feel any kind of way about it. I got to pay attention to what I got going on for my own good. I talked to him. He's aight, he chilling, he just got to do his time and get back home.

Have you spoken to Waka?
Yeah, I talk to Waka all the time. He don’t talk about Gucci, we just really talk about life and keeping my head up and doing what I need to be doing and stay down. Like I got kids, and I need to do what I need to do for them. I ain’t in the middle of nothing, ain’t nothing going on. I do my own thing, I’m Black Migos, I do my own thing, and I got my own company Black Migo Gang.

Do you feel like you have to regain your buzz since “Colombia” after the jail bid?
Naw, I just got to keep doing what I’m doing. “Colombia” was a big song, but I got a lot of songs that the crowd go crazy to, go crazier to than “Colombia.” I don’t know, I got to see where things go, but really I’m going to drop an album following Street Lottery 2.

It seems like you’re real close with Future.
Oh yeah, I grew up with Future so it ain’t no problem with him, he just like a brother to me. [I met him] years ago, decades man. We pretty much grew up with each other. He always was a hard worker, he just stayed down until he got to where he was at.

You're working with YG for the new tape? “Street Tides” was one of my favorite records off From The Cell Block To Your Block.
YG going to be on there. Me and YG was going to drop a mixtape right before I got locked up called Street Tides. I talked to him a couple times while I was in jail. I talked to Nipsey, we finna get in and do something. YG and Nipsey man, I salute. I listen to their music, and they do the same way with me. We just keep in contact with each other.

When did you make “Here We Go Again”?
Man, I did that over the phone in jail. I wrote that down while I was in jail and said it over the phone. I called and they recorded it while they was in the studio.

What drives you?
My kids and all the people I got to take care of, I got to take care of a lot of people though. That’s how it is, that’s how it always been. I can’t complain or turn my back on them. I just got to go with the flow. As long as money is involved, I ain’t going to get tired.