UTP LEAVES JUVIE BEHIND

With their sophomore disc Back Like We Left Something: Katrina Proof, hitting stores today (September 25) UTP are ready to prove to the world that they're no one-hit wonders. "We've been trying to get back out but it's been a hard road," Skip said. "That's why we called this album Back Like We Left Something." "We just went and got our business straight as far as the black and white, the paper work," continues Wacko. "You can be a hot rapper all day but if you ain't got that business straight..." The duo also got their music straight, with the group's disc boasting guest appearances from Lil' Wayne, Devin the Dude, Rich Boy, Polow Da Don and former group member Juvenile, with whom the fellas say they are still cool. "We not with Juvie no more, but he's on the album," Wacko told SOHH. "We not on the road with Juvie, doing shows with him...we not hardcore beefing like that though. He doing his thing and we doing ours. We not trying to coattail a n***a. This record right here, we got to do what we were feeling. The other album was kinda like Juvie's ideas, besides 'Nolia Clap.' We really didn't get to do us. We put that energy into this one, we put Wacko and Skip in it." Skip finishes his partner's statement, "At the end of the day we still cool, we'll still holla. We just gotta prove to the world that we can do this, we can make a hit without Juvie being involved." Though the pair may still be cool with Juvie, they claim that the Shop Boyz, known for their hit single "Party Like A Rockstar" blatantly ripped their style. "The Shop Boys, they kinda clipped our toes," Wacko said. "They stealing in Atlanta, they stealing. I ain't beefing with them but they know they stealing. They used to come to our sessions when I was recording in Atlanta. We were doing that, wearing rhinestones on our shirts and our Air Force Ones to the club," "Ask Shawty [Atlanta based comedian] who created that style in Atlanta and he can tell you who originated that since 2005. They still ain't doing it right, 'cause they wack. The beat and the hook is cool, but them verses, wack." UTP believes fans will be able to get a glimpse of the originators of the rock star mentality when Wacko releases his compilation Heavy Metal In The Ghetto, Vol. 1 through his own Magnolia Records. "It ain't even got no cursing, no sexual references and we ain't saying the word ni**a on there," he says. "The swagger is just so tight. When you hear our stuff, you gonna hear who's real and who bit it." Back Like We Left Something: Katrina Proofis in stores now via Rap-A-Lot/Asylum/Warner Music Group