R-Truth recently appeared on The New Day podcast, Feel The Power. Here are the most notable notes from his interview.

On Meeting Tupac…

“Tupac had just done the movie Juice when I met him. So he was hot at that time. I got to Atlanta and didn’t have a lot of money. I was on a budget. I was a show opener for a lot of people who came through North Carolina and South Carolina. Just passing through and seeing him at every Jack the rapper convention. He had that energy. Something about him that attracted people to him. I would just watch him and study and be in awe. Someone coming from where he come from that had the mind that he had. He was all about sharing. Good hearted dude. I ran out of money but he bought me hot dogs and stuff.”

The Rap and Wrestling connection.

“I think the rap and wrestling business go hand in hand. I would say that being in the wrestling business as long as I have, I’ve learned so much about it. Even though the music business is what led me here, I’ve matured in the wrestling business. Because of wrestling I’ve matured. When we come out our music, it sets the pace it sets the tone. So music goes hand in hand. Once you put a character with it, I don’t have to put anything into it but energy, the character is just me.”

How he got here

“I met Jack Crockett at a halfway house. Mess around on the street doing things I shouldn’t be doing. Back and forth in jail. I had one job in my life and that was it. Jack Crockett saw me being me, he felt like I didn’t belong here. He said I want to give you a job. I thought he meant like cutting his grass or something. The plan was to meet someone to invest in my music career. I was then going to become this big rap star, and get the inmates to be my personal security. I turned him down for two years, I didn’t think I was ready. Back and forth to jail again in those two years. I was ready for a change, I had a kid at that time. The music thing was looking bad. I called Crockett and said whatever I needed to do, I’ll do it. He said “Kid, this won’t cost you nothing but time and dedication.” He took me to three WCW shows. The first person that came out was Ric Flair. When that crowd came up when his music hit. Crockett said to me “That could be you. You could be rapping, dancing, fighting. Mix it all together and create this character. But be you because people like you. Original, authentic just be yourself. I did the independents for three years. People offered to show me things and book me. I went to NWA. I was doing something that was different. I wasn’t on the streets, selling dope. I was creating my own audience. They said you can go bigger than this. I Sent the tape in. I got a call from Terry Taylor at WWE within two weeks. Next week I had a contract at my door.”

Out of the Dogg house

“Road Dogg saw me in developmental. I was ready to quit. I was in developmental for nine months. They told me it would be six months. It was nine months and nothing was working out, I was running out of money. I was sleeping on Daniel Bryan, Brian Kendrick’s floor. I was questioning myself, it wasn’t paying off. I told the producers I am not resigning I’m going back home. They responded “going back home to do what?” Nothing was working out. Road Dogg came to the TV taping and saw me rap. When I came back to the locker room, people said Road Dogg was asking about me. He then asked me if I wanted to be his tag partner on TV. He said “I know you’re discouraged. Give me one month and I will have you on TV.” In less than one month they had the idea of me and Dogg in the restaurant, then I made my debut on RAW.”

Kofi and Truth look back at rejected team names.

Kofi: “R-Boom was one of them. The booming truth was another. There were a lot of bad names. What I did find was our list of suggested names. To be honest they are not much better. One of them was the HD boys, right when we went to HD. Two times what (written 2 x what). The shock boys was one, “we shock you in so many ways.” The other one was the go boys, or the go boy coalition. Show time go time!” Here’s one they gave, Ghana get got! Then we have The truth squad, trouble in truth, the kings of truth.”

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