Boo & Gotti

R. Kelly, Jermaine Dupri, Ja Rule and the Big Tymers have all called on Boo & Gotti to add some flair to their recordings. Indeed, there's good reason why this charismatic Chicago duo has become one of the most promising pairings in contemporary hip-hop. After being sought-after as collaborators for the last three years, the time has finally come for Boo & Gotti to fully flex their skills on their own solo project. Boo & Gotti shine throughout their debut album, "Perfect Timing," which is being released by industry powerhouse Cash Money Records in mid-summer, 2003. With Boo's laid-back demeanor and Gotti's hardened street-informed style, the group is a compelling combination that is making sure Chicago stays on the map. "We've done a lot of features and a lot of people were like, 'When is your album coming out?'" Boo explains. "We've had different dates and all that, so we just figured that when it's our time, it's really our time. It's ain't us. When God wants it to come out that's when it's going to come out. That's why it's Perfect Timing now." With strong stories, clever lyrics and A-List production from Mannie Fresh, R. Kelly, Kanye West, Jazze Pha and others, Perfect Timing stands as one of the most impressive debuts in hip-hop history. The lead single, "Ain't It Man," featuring Lil' Wayne builds off of popular Chicago slang. But the catchy song almost never came to be. "We was actually about to leave the studio but Slim was like, 'What's the slang that you all say in Chicago?' We were running down different stuff that we say, like 'ain't it man.' He was like; 'I like that.' I did a line. Gotti did a line. Slim was like, 'Don't leave. Let's do this song.' We knocked it out and Wayne put the hook on it." Similar magic transpired while concocting the meditative track "Dear Ghetto." Produced by and featuring Chi-town's legendary crooner, R. Kelly, the introspective cut was written in letterform. Boo & Gotti imagine themselves looking down on their friends from heaven, encouraging them to remain strong despite how difficult life may seem. Boo & Gotti turn their focus to their hometown on the "Chi Town" The duo trade verses about the city that gave them their flamboyant style and mid-west flair while Mannie Fresh kicks the memorable chorus. "Chicken, fish, bossy outfits," Fresh raps with his trademark southern drawl. "Cadillac Escalades with drop kicks/Hoes on the wheels/Big grills/And the Midwest Girls dressed in high heels/In Chi Town." With descriptive lyrics painting a portrait of their hometown, the track resembles a hip-hop brochure advertising the benefits of Chicago. On Perfect Timing, the duo showcases their versatility and broad range of different hip-hop styles. "We're from the Midwest but we've been to so many places and we get good vibes from Florida, Atlanta, New York," Boo says. "If you mix all of that in there, people are going to feel it. We can freestyle and all that, but at the end of the day, you've got to know how to make a record. That's something that both R. Kelly and Baby coached us on. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you can't make a record, then what's the purpose?" Growing up in a variety of locations on Chicago's West Side, Boo & Gotti first met when they were pre-teens, but it would take several years for them to team up as artists. Gotti, who released an album independently in 1998, was looking for a legal way out of the hood and linked up with Boo when they realized they had similar visions. Boo & Gotti's big break came in 1999 when Boo had a chance meeting with R.Kelly at a downtown Chicago McDonald's. The two struck up a friendship and before long, Boo was writing verses with R. Kelly in the studio. Boo presented R. Kelly with Gotti's album and the R&B mogul was immediately impressed. R. Kelly signed Boo & Gotti to his Rock Land Records and featured them on two songs on his 2000 album, TP-2.com. Boo & Gotti's memorable appearances on "I Wish - Remix (To The Homies That We Lost)" and "Fiesta" (and its remix with Jay-Z), established Boo & Gotti as an exciting new hip-hop team that had a new voice in the dense hip-hop industry. From there, Boo & Gotti found themselves fielding calls from a bevy of hip-hop's best talent. Their skillful rhymes were featured on Jermaine Dupri's Instructions album, Ja Rule's Pain Is Love album and the Big Tymers' Hood Rich album. Although they worked with R. Kelly extensively, other labels interested in signing them regularly approached Boo & Gotti. Focused on his own career, R. Kelly encouraged his protégés to sign with Cash Money, which they did in November 2001. With their already impressive track record, Cash Money gave Boo & Gotti plenty of room for their creative vision, whether that meant coming up with song concepts or using producers other than Cash Money's main producer, Mannie Fresh.