Big Tuck (True Magazine October 2006)

Dallas Ryda
By, N'neka Hite

Dallas has given birth to an artist the size of Texas. Rapper, composer, producer, and musician Big Tuck has created a $7 million buzz that is wreaking havoc throughout the south. Now, T-Town Records is ready to share their musical empire with the world introducing “scrunk,” an innovative new sound to the otherwise stagnated state of hip-hop.

Big Tuck’s major label debut, The Absolute Truth, is scheduled to drop 10/24/06.
He describes the upcoming album as, “a new southern sound, energetic, hoodish, and the truth.” Inking a multi-artist deal with Universal got the ball rolling; but the South-Dallas stunner admits the album wasn’t complete when the deal was sealed.

“When we was signed they (Universal) thought it was already done but it really took about three to four months,”[to complete] he said.

Big Tuck is the first member of the group, DSR (The Dirty South Rydaz) to release an album under the new deal. He was put on by George Lopez, CEO of DSR and T-Town Music, who is responsible for introducing some of the Lone Star States hottest artists like Lil Flip and Mike Jones. After recognizing his own eye for talent, Lopez put it to use creating his own group.

DSR is made up of six members; Tum Tum, Fat B, Double T, Big Tite, and Lil Ronnie. The group collectively put a dent in the independent market selling mixed tapes resulting in huge numbers.

“Every month we would drop something and make it happen,” Big Tuck tells True Magazine. “We would go into the studio in one day and make a hot mix tape. You know, we were a group so everyone always had something to say.”

Tucks love for the arts of began in elementary school. “I’ve been doing music since the 4th grade, music is my life. I was a musician first, and then I did the poetry thing and stepped up to the rap thing. Since then, I’ve been doing it.”
His musical talent and interest in poetry, flourished into a full scholarship to the University of Arkansas where he earned a degree in Mass Communications and Music. His resume includes composing and writing for black college marching bands.

Big Tuck, like many recent grads, couldn’t find his place in corporate America so he took it to the streets. He began hustling slangin’ rhymes like weight.
Following in the footsteps of No Limit and Cash Money Records, independent labels that DSR credits as inspirations, the group created a huge following on the underground circuit. They spit out 32-mixed cd’s in six years. In 2004 Big Tuck released Purple Hulk, which sold over 100,000 units independently. It was then that the group grabbed the attention of heavy hitting labels like Sony and Interscope.

“They started getting on us like what are they doing? We had a lot of majors on the table but we ended up going with Universal for $7 million,” says Tuck. “They wanted to come get money with us.”

Although Tuck has been outspoken about Dallas radio stations ignoring local acts, his new single, "Tussle", featuring Slim Thug and Tum Tum is making noise on the airwaves and the video is blowing up on the internet. It will be the first release off of the forthcoming album.

The Absolute Truth features, Paul Wall, Bun B, Cool & Dre, Erykah Badu, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, and Juke.