The unfamiliar region of East Texas is probably more Bay Area than it is Lone Star State. Like The Bay, East Texas boasts an eclectic style that isn't necessarily synonymous with it's native state and is formed by a union of smaller, lesser known towns. Henderson, TX native Lil' Tec has been repping for this region since day one. As a CEO on the come up, he could've easily traded the unrecognizable surroundings of No Where, USA for the glitz and notoriety of a nearby major city but decided to stay firm in his roots. With CD's, mixtapes, and DVD's all repping the East Texas movement, Mr. Corleon is proving that folks will never know where you're from unless you stay where you're at.

Out here in East Texas, there really ain't nothin'. It ain't no where you can go to, say, Such-and-such Studios. "We finna put out some tracks." It ain't really nothin' like that down here. Man, there really ain't no opportunities for nothin' outhere but a penitentiary sentence. Out here, as far as jobs, man, it's really bad. It's because [we're] a small town - it's kinda like they got a hold on us. Man, it ain't nothin' to do for the kids. We just now got a Boys & Girls Club, about two years ago. Around here, man, it's money moving around out here, but you don't really want that money, man, because before you know it-- BAM! There you go. They gon' ship you right there to that lil' state jail right out there on the highway.

A lot of niggas front and downplay the music. "Aww, we just doin' this music now because..." These niggas lyin'. They don't really wanna do this shit they doin', man. Niggas don't wanna be out here, goin' to jail and paying bail bondsmen and lawyers every mu'fuckin' [time], because you ain't makin' no progress. You ain't makin' no money. You be done made 20, 30 stacks, you got it saved, but within 30 days, they is gone, nigga. I done seen it happen.

Really, man, before a nigga started rappin', a nigga was hustlin'. But not just to make it just that plain and dry like that. Really, a nigga was rappin' before a nigga was even thinkin' about hustlin', because it was in a nigga's heart. Upstairs Click is the actual rap group. It's a whole lot of members. It's a lot of them that may not even be rappers, but it's people that's with it. Whatever we do, they down with it, 'cause they know where we come from and what all it consist of.. The USC is really big, man. It's bigger than people think. I always wanted to step it up and get it to where we're gonna be professional. I didn't know it was going to take this long to get there, but, shit, it was worth it to me. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way because when somebody give you something, you don't appreciate as much as you would if you sit there and scratch for every little of everything.

Really and truly, I feel what it's going totake [for East Texas] to become a full-blown movement is a lot of these guys that's trying to rap to realize we are not New York, we are not Houston, we are not Chicago. We are East Texas. We don't have any type of support, as far as labels or media. We are open to work with media because we don't have that. What it's gonna take is for people to start being open-minded and realize that you gotta network with people and you gotta go beyond just rappin'. Really, the main thing with affiliating with other people is just being real and being honest with yourself first. Don't be shuckin' and jivin', try'na fool somebody with that fake shine. They gon' see through that. Be real. If you don't bring nothin' to the table, ain't nobody gon' have nothin' to eat. Everybody that I deal with, I've never burnt a bridge. - As told to Ron Moon

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www.myspace.com/lilteccorleon