“It’s exciting, ‘cause everything is new to me,” City Spud said on the set for the St. Lunatics’ new video for “Money Talks” Tuesday in Fenton.
“So, it was like … the first thing I did when we came on set was ask, ‘Who’s the key grip?’”
Local media were fighting tooth and nail to get a shot or sound byte from Nelly as he prepped for his time in the spotlight.
But to watch City soak in every element as the crew handled the technical business of shooting a video was just as compelling, especially since most of the words from Nelly – and the rest of the ‘Tics – primarily echoed how happy they were to have City with them this time around.
“He wasn’t able to be a part of Country Grammar or any other Lunatic album that had been done up to this point,” Nelly told KMOV-TV.
“It’s exciting for us to watch him because this is his first time really going through the whole process of putting out an album and everything that comes along with it.”
With the release of the song and the album – which is slated for early summer – City can finally experience what has become the everyday rap star experience that has become routine for Ali, Kyjuan, Murphy Lee and Nelly.
“Of course, everybody knows that I’ve been on vacation for a while and now I’m back,” City said during downtime on the set.
His graceful way of describing an eight-year prison sentence was an early indicator that he had put the past behind him, but he admitted that it wasn’t always that easy … especially after watching the rest of the ‘Tics hit the jackpot after years of grinding – work City had put in as well.
“At first, I didn’t watch any of it because I didn’t know how I was going to feel,” City said. “And the place where I was, if it did make me upset or sad I kind of didn’t want to show that. So I didn’t watch for a while.”
‘We brought the world to St. Louis’
But out of love and the need to support his St. Lunatics family, even if it was from the inside, he came around to see the how his group made an international impact on the hip-hop scene.
“Once I did start watching, it was good,” City said. “I was proud, I was excited. Because here I am watching my brothers doing something that we worked so hard for. And things like that don’t just happen for everybody. It’s like one in a million, and we were like five of those. So that was lovely.”
The support went both ways.
It would have been easy for ‘Tics to carry on without him. By the time he was released, the world had come to know the group without City, even though in his absence they named their debut album for Universal Free City in honor of him.
Upon his release, he hit the ground running with respect to learning the St. Lunatic way of life. Two years later, they are gearing up for the release of their City Free album in a major way.
Their first single “Money Talks” will almost certainly be a summer club banger – especially with Universal label-mate Baby a.k.a. The Bird Man of Cash Money along with them on the track for the ride.
“Money Talks, Bull [expletive] Walks,” Baby repeats in his signature New Orleans drawl so frequently heard on the hit records of Lil’ Wayne.
Even with Baby on the track, the tune returns to the “So St. Louis” roots that made the ‘Tics – and the entire city – famous on the rap scene.
“When we blew up, we brought the world to St. Louis, we didn’t bring St. Louis to the world,” Murphy Lee said. “I think I think that’s why the last five years have been so messed up, because everybody else is trying to take St. Louis somewhere else.”
‘Their minds are so fickle’
His first time out the gate, one would expect for City to go on about how the single would be a certified summer jam for 2010, but City is a realist – even with his optimism.
“You never know, because kids nowadays determine what’s hot and their minds are so fickle right now,” he said. “So you just do your craft and throw it out there and if it works lovely, and if it don’t, you go back to the drawing board.”
He was so laid back it was hard to believe the rest of the group when they talked about how excited he was – but then again, they know him better than anybody.
“He’s excited and I’m excited for him,” Nelly said. “He’s ready for it. He’s had a long time to get prepared.”
“He feeling his swag, and now he’s ready to be heard,” Kyjuan said with a smile.
With City on deck there’s a new energy, a need to show the world that they can do it again. Because for one of them, it’s for the first time.
“He gave us that second wind because everything is new to him,” Murphy Lee said.
“He motivated us to have fun again instead of all work this time around. We gonna work and play That’s what today is about. That’s what the new Lunatics album is about: enjoying your life. Because you only get one time to live it.”
