AAR: When you all were in school, were you always getting into a thuggian level of trouble? Like, how many times a week were you all in lunch detention, or given stern talkings-to after class by your pre-AP teachers?
TON: Well, first off we all taught ourselves everything there is to know. We knew there was no way some school teacher was going to teach us how to do us. But it ain't always been how it is with the Thugz now.
Like anywhere else, there are multiple sects within Magnolia; namely, the East and West sides. With four of us raised in the East, and the other three in the West, were dropped into a gang [rivalry] without ever having a choice. It was like Puff Dank and P-Drizzle back in the '80s.
We had seen each other around here and there at the usual Brookshire Brothers throwdown or in Juvie sometimes, but we would have never been allowed to form any sort of coalition. As time went on, however, we all sort of simultaneously realized that everyone was always sticking with their gangs for whatever reasons. So we decided to rebel against standardized gangster life and take things to a new level.
Ever since then, we've been killin' it on the daily as the Thugz. Some kids back home may say we committed treason or whatnot, but I guarantee they got our disc in their stereo spinning nonstop. Chumps.
AAR: We heard that Trae, Z-Ro and J-Dawg all asked you guys for advice on how to cultivate a true gangster-in-the-streets image. What type of things did you all tell them?
TON: Give up.
AAR: When someone acts out line in M-Town - not brushing their teeth for the full two minutes, ending sentences with prepositions, things like that - what type of repercussions do they face?
TON: As far as we're concerned, anything less than being us is out of line. It's not discrimination; it's obvious supremacy. We got a couple homies - like Cinco and A.K. - but those guys are rare exceptions (plus they're from Guam). That's why we don't waste time with people unless they have something real to say, which is yet to occur.
Capitalism. We do what we want when we want because we can. And concerning ending sentences with prepositions, in the words of Winston Churchill, "that is the sort of thing up with which I will not put!"
AAR: How many homies have you lost this year? Of course, by "lost" we mean "had move to the Heights or River Oaks after their dads got promoted to be the head of the oncology department at M.D. Anderson."
TON: This year has definitely been one of the hardest for the Thugz. Not that we lost anyone on the outside, but among us. Deciding to further pursue our obvious musical talents, we've split up in order to corrupt multiple cities all over the state. It's a sacrifice, but we know it will ultimately grow us stronger than the world has seen thus far.
However, our separation has been made more bearable by our new connection with iTunes and cdbaby.com. After finally allowing iTunes to put our music up and selling over 11,000 copies of "Bringin' Jaw" in the first hour online, we all feel pretty good about where this is going.
Our newest single, "Miles" - not yet released - is quite a different feel from "Bringin' Jaw," but we got many others for all the "Jaw" lovers out there. Just be ready to throw those pinkies up, kids.
And if you're reading this, K. Clark, this is just the beginning.
Keep up with the Thugz online at www.myspace.com/thugzofnormandy. That is, if your computer will even allow you to visit the site, chump.
