Dem Franchize Boyz, new artists’ representing the So So Def/ Virgin record label, visited the students of FAMU Wednesday.
To some students’ delight, they graced the campus as if they were our peers.
Dem Franchize Boyz decided to eat at the cafeteria and get down and dirty with some of their fans.
“It’s crazy to see celebrities eating at our KFC right after you get out of class but anything can happen here at FAM,” Megan Daniels, a sophomore biology student from Long Beach, Calif. said.
The members of Dem Franchize Boyz: Buddie, Young Pimpin and Jizzal Man were on campus promoting their group and their two hit songs, “White Tee” and “Oh I think They Like Me.”
The Hill was one of their stops as they make their way around the nation on the So So def Hitman tour.
Unfortunately, their fourth member Parlae wasn’t joining them on the tour because he has been feeling under the weather.
Even though the group was one member short their fans stayed loyal, rushing for pens and T-shirts or anything that could be autographed by the group.
“I’m happy that their not funny acting, I just went up to them and held a regular conversation. They aren’t letting their fame get to them and that will keep their fans,” Kamirah Jiles, a junior English student from Durham, NC said.
As they represent Atlanta to the fullest, they stay true to their roots.
One might have to know the history of Dem Franchize Boyz to understand where they have come from.
“We all grew up together, we did everything together especially get money” Young Pimpin said.
“That’s why we named our self, Franchize.”
“Rapping started out as just a hobby, something that we did in our free time, but once we saw people were feeling it we went from there,” Buddie said.
The group will agree that they have a lot in common when it comes to getting rich and making a better life for themselves.
“We grinded and hustled just like any person trying to get on would,” Jizzal Man said.
However, the road to success was different for them.
“The difference between us and anybody else is that we conquer the streets with mix tapes, we didn’t really get any radio airplay.”
The origin of their first single ” White Tee” had everybody on this campus bobbin’ their heads and rapping the verses.
“I produced White Tee in my closet,” Young Pimpin said. “I had mics in there and crates on the wall.
“We first performed White Tee at Club Pool Palace in Atlanta and the club went crazy!”
The group went from recording music in closets to having options of whom they wanted to sign with.
“A lot of record labels were coming at us but we decided to go with So So Def because JD (Jermaine Dupree) is from Atlanta and when you get off the airplane the first thing you see is the big So So Def billboard,” Jizzal Man said.
“It feels good to know that you’re apart of that.”
As the group plans for their album to drop in early 2006, they will continue to promote their music and work on the video for their next song “Lean with it” Jizzal man said.
The group is happy with their success so far.
They have the number nine song in the country and are still in the studio working on more hits for the streets.
“We have no reason not be happy with the number nine song in the country, you would be dancing too,” Young Pimpin said.
And even though there are a lot of groups breaking up and members going solo, none of that is in the forecast for Dem Franchize Boyz.
“Can’t nothing break this Franchize up,” Buddie said.
They plan to continue to make music that fans feel.
Fans are the driving force in what Dem Franchize Boyz do.
Young Pimpin can attest to that as well.
“It feels good to have people react to your music. Matter of fact, it’s the best feeling in the world,” Young Pimpin said.
Contact Bram Smith at famuanlifestyles@hotmail.com