He Ain't New ta This

Pastor Troy - Georgia native, son of a drill sergeant-turned-pastor, veteran to Atlanta's explosive music scene - is about to drop his most comprehensive album to date. Troy's Universal Soldier, the follow-up to his 2001 Universal Records debut Face Off, puts forth a more developed Pastor Troy showing his versatility by working with big name producers such as Timbaland and Jazze Pha. While still staying true to his "Tear the club up / Get it crunk" style, the incorporation of Timbaland and Jazze Pha has made Pastor Troy more accessable to a larger market. This is evident as Troy's Timbaland-produced single, "Are We Cuttin'" was chosen as the first single off the soundtrack to Vin Diesil's summer blockbuster, XXX. With the momentum of that single and a big budget music video backing him up, Pastor Troy is well on his way to earning a spot amongst the upper echelon of Atlanta's number one hitmakers.

Yo man, I just watched the "Are We Cuttin'" video online. It's off the hook. Did you really jump off that building?
Awwww man…uh, I plead the fifth.

What's the difference being in the studio with Timbaland rather than a producer you regularly work with?
There really wasn't a very big difference, man. That's what I was looking for, the difference. But shit, all the equipment is the same you know, the craftsmanship is just top notch.

How many albums do you actually have? I've counted like six.
Uh, probably like ten.

Was the first one We ready, I Declare War?
Yeah man, you know we do it on the underground. That's how we do it down south - it's more on the underground tip than anything. We can put out an album every couple months.

What's the difference in this time now, from way back in '99 when I Declare War came out and today, being on the XXX soundtrack, the high-powered video, working with Timbaland and all that?
It's just stepping it up, man. You know I'm not supposed to be doing the same thing I was doing back in '99, you know what I mean? I'm just expanding, maturing with it. It's what you're supposed to do. The music is still the same crunk shit you know, we just trying to take it across the board now.

So you're still doing that "tear the club up" style of music?
Oh, you know we gonna tear the club up.

Now how do you feel about the dirty south style of music getting pigeon-holed as just being that "tear the club up" or "southern fried" style? Is there something about the south people don't know about that you want them to know?
You'd really have to listen to that music and check it out for yourself. Because we do everything on there, it's not just necessarily the crunk shit, that might just be our specialty, but I know personally I do everything. I rap about everything, I rap about war, I rap about poverty, love - shit, you name it. I rap about it all.

So why don't you sprinkle me with some Atlanta game?
[laughs] Ahhh, we just kicking it man, Atlanta off the chain right now, everybody coming through, swinging through, it's just hot right now. Every week there's a celebrity in town throwing something big in Atlanta. Shit, I don't know, man, we got it right now.

So who all is on this new album? You want to describe it for me?
Ah yeah man, it's Pastor Troy Universal Soldier, right. I got my boy Lil' Jon on some tracks for me - he rapped like four headbangers, I got my boy Jazze Pha… Jazzy Pheezie off the beezie! Shit, we kicking, man, this album… I know it's my best one yet, I would say.

With all this exposure, you're gonna reach a whole new fan base. What do you want them to know firsthand about Pastor Troy?
That I'm not new to this. They might be new me but I ain't new to them. It's all good.

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