S. Samuel
With Dr. Dre announcing plans to take a music hiatus and focus on his family this week, SOHH recently reached out to the producer's protege Slim the Mobster about holding down Aftermath Records.
Speaking on his bond with fellow Aftermath rapper Kendrick Lamar, Slim said he feels now is the time to prove himself to the world.
“Yeah, I mean, it feels good. We were all just in the studio the other day, me, Kendrick and Dre and the energy was just there,” Slim told SOHH when asked about holding up the Aftermath flag. “Me and Kendrick know each other from previous situations. Where he grew up, my lived there. I know who he is, he knows who I am. We just made it into something big. This is what I work for. With me, I have to really prove my point because I’ve been signed so long but it feels like I’ve done nothing. When I say ‘nothing,’ I mean I haven’t done anything that’s been Slim-motivated. It’s been in the lure of of Detox and Dr. Dre. I feel like right now, it’s my time.” (SOHH)
This week, Dre said outside of Slim and Kendrick, he has no immediate music obligations.
“These are the next two artists I’m working on, Slim the Mobster and Kendrick Lamar. I think that’s when I’m gonna just wrap it up for a minute because I’ve been working on music for 27 years now and the longest I’ve ever been out of the studio in 27 years has been two weeks,” Dr. Dre said in an interview. “So yeah I feel like I’m gonna take a little bit of a break. I’m never gonna stop music, it’s like air to me. So I’mma take a little bit of a break. Enjoy some time with the family til I get that itch to get back in.” (FADER TV)
In October, Slim gave SOHH his reaction to being one of two primary Aftermath focuses for the Doc.
“I’ve been knew that,” Slim jokingly told SOHH when informed about Dre’s primary focus on him and Kendrick Lamar. “I knew that months ago. It never changed how I am or who I am. I mean, things change but I’m not trying to change too much. I don’t want it to be as if [Dr. Dre’s pledge] gives me my confidence. Confidence comes from what I do. Despite who I’m with, that’s where my confidence comes from. [Dre’s words are] like a boost, but I never had the vision in my head, ‘Because Dre this, Dre that,’ nah, I still got work to do.” (SOHH)
A week prior, Dre revealed his intent to solely work alongside the two Aftermath proteges.
“I am never going to give music up,” he said. “Music is like air to me, [music] is like oxygen, so I am always doing that. As soon as I get back to Los Angeles, I am back in the studio doing my thing. I have a couple of new artists that I am excited about, Kendrick Lamar and Slim the Mobster. These are the next two artists, and these are probably my final two artists that I am going to be working with at least for the next couple of years. I am going to devote all my attention to them and make sure their sh*t comes out the way it should be. I am just having fun with life right now!” (Global Grind)
Check out Dr. Dre speaking on taking a music hiatus below:
