There is no question these days that No Limit is the biggest, most prolific label in Hip-Hop. Master P has taken his style of Hip-Hop to an incredible level. He has sold millions of albums and puts out a new album almost once a week. Sometimes though, it is hard to realize that Master P isn't the only one making serious moves in the No Limit army. Mr. Servon is one of these people that was always there but not really heard from. He had the skills and the potential to be a major player in Hip-Hop but never really boasted and made himself known. Well in 1999, Servon plans to change all of that. With the release of his new album, Da Next Level, and a blazing first single from that album that features Big Pun, Servon is setup perfectly to make his move. He has learned from his past and studied the game so he won't make any more missteps. His game is tight and with Master P as a business mentor, Mr. Servon has all the resources he needs to take his talent beyond just rhyming on record. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Servon and ask him how he is doing now and how bright his future looks.

JC: What is the meaning behind the name Mr. Servon?

Mr. Servon: The actual meaning is simple. It is just someone that does what he has to do to get where he gotta go. It's just not a street thing and I want you to know that. Even people that's out there doing the education thing. If that's what you doing, then keep servin' em. Do what you gotta do. When you break the letters down it means Surviving Every Rugged Vendetta Enslaved On Niggas. And that's just being real. That's just me, you add the "E" to it. It's surviving and doing what you gotta do. If it's education that's fine. If it's street life and you're doing it to feed your family, to make a better way for yourself so you can get out of it, fine. If your are rappin', or your interviewin' like you doin', man you are getting your serve on. If you getting paid for it and you're surviving, you getting' your serve on. It's just that simple.

So how was the maturity from your first album to this album? What did you do to change yourself?

You know what, I'm more expressive. Before if you did an interview with me, people would tell you at the interview that I just answered the question and I'm blunt and it's cool. It wasn't that I was afraid to speak, I just didn't speak much. Even (Master) P said I just need to express myself. Then my mom was like "you never talk to me but you say what's on your mind on albums. Say what you gotta feel. Act like this is the last thing you are ever going to do in your life. Leave something behind if you leave early in your life." I'm more personal about my life. Certain thing about my life and my family, people will never know. Things that bother me I put them on this album. I feel good about it now.

So is that why you didn't guest star as much on a lot of the No Limit records until now? Were you just holding back and waiting?

No. The year before last I was doing my thing. A lot of people know that on the last several projects on No Limit, I just came like I was seeking and destroying and just handling my business. It's just some things that I went through in between my last album and this album that caused to me to just be like, 'you know what, this Rap thing, I know I can control it and I know I can handle my business. I know I can be one of the best and well respected in it, if I just do everything I'm supposed to do.' I just started doing it and it led up to this album.

So are you going to start showing your face more and be on more of the No Limit releases now?

Yeah I'm gonna start lettin' (Master) P do that. At first I was never really in the videos, I would sit in the back. Major songs that turn in to videos, I was just never around to do them. I was always runnin' out doing this or doing that. Now I'm just concentratin', and I'm financially stable. I'm to the point were I can just be in the studio. I done put it down to the point where (Master) P now turns and looks and be like 'yo I want Serv on this because it's made for him.' Now it's like I have my own standing ground.

How would you say you do thing differently from everybody in No Limit to stand out that way?

I think it's like this. I was born in the South and I felt I became an adult on the East Coast when I lived there for five years. Then I went to the West Coast and I learned a lot more. No matter which song it is, I don't care what type of style beat it is whatever, I guarantee it because of the places I've lived I can flow it and do it that way. It doesn't matter. I bring different styles. It's not one style I can stick to. Slow, fast, up-tempo. People say we're not lyrical, I will destroy you. I don't care who you are. Outside of Mystikal because I think that's the best rapper out there right now.

So did you start your actual rapping career, as far as like writing rhymes and taking it seriously, in the South or on the East Coast?

I started writing rhymes when I was on the East Coast. It just wasn't paying no money. I saw a little money but I didn't get credit for the two major artists that I wrote for. I learned. That taught me the business. Everybody has to fall on their face once, then you learn from it. It was good for me because then I started doing for myself. I learned from it and it's all good. Because those same artists, I think they remember me by face now. The name back then was a little different. I always been Servon, but to them they knew my real name. They not doing nothing now. So it's cool.

When you came back to the South is that how you hooked up with No Limit?

No. When I came down I got with KLC, the head producer of Beats By The Pound. Let's put it like this, I am him, and people be like 'what do you mean.' He probably always wanted to be a rapper but he's a producer, and a damn good one. He made me. He would like tell me like 'Serv slow down here and express yourself here. Do it this way. No say it this way.' He never wrote for me because we not allowed to do that. But he showed me how to be a rapper. My stage presence. He showed me everything. So he and I were together and we went to this Jack The Rapper out there and we were going there to sign with a major label. They offered us some bulls**t. I was like nah we ain't f**kin' with it and let's go out here. My thing was like I know Russell Simmons is out here somewhere. I said we can get on Def Jam. At the meantime during a big old fight between Death Row and Luke Records, (Master) P showed up and I've been knowin' P since I was small. He told me about No Limit and what he could do and I was like this is black owned and this is my boy and I've been idolizing him since I was small, KL(C) let's roll with him. He was like 'yo, just chill at home and I'm gonna come get you.' I was just getting into so much trouble at home, that my moms talked to him one night and said 'look just get him.' The he said I'm gonna bring you out here right now. I went out there to Cali and I've been with him ever since.

So would you say that KLC was your major influence in the whole Rap game?

He made me. My major influence outside of (Master) P was the rappers that I looked up to. Outside P and Russell Simmons, the rappers I looked up to were Treach from Naughty By Nature. I just wanted to put myself in his place at one time in my life. He signified me. Somebody that's aggressive and that's not scared ofnothing and just flows recklessly. I was looked up to the Just Ice's, and WC from out on the West Coast. Lord Finesse. I'm big fans of those people. Ice Cube and things like that. You know most people don't like to give it up but I got hella love and respect for Puffy, even as a businessman and as an entertainer. I might not be as flamboyant of an entertainer as Puffy, but I like what he do and what he brings to Rap.

Now on the new album you did the song with Big Pun, how did that one come about?

I wanted to do it. I saw him at House Of Blues and told him I wanted to do something. You know most people in business are like yeah we going to do it and never do it. But when I called him, he was like down. Plus he knew who I was when I saw him. Knowing I'm not a visible member of No Limit too much, he knew my name and knew me by face. I felt very respected and honored for somebody like him to do that. So I was like I gonna hook up with him and I did.

How are your feeling about your new album as opposed to your first?

Right now I'm gonna tell you like this. I don't feel nothing and I'm there and I know it's something to reckon with. Before with my album I was like 'yo I'm comin' out and all my idles out there, they got albums out and what am I going to do.' I did well amongst all of them and I realized that. Then I started telling myself, 'they men just like I am trying to make a living and they puttin' down like they know, so I'm gonna be damned if I'm not gonna but it down like I know it.' I'm more confident with this album.

In a general sense, how do you feel about Hip-Hop right now?

It's good man. I love it. I love the fact of the competition. Man I look at DMX and he got two albums in the top 10. I love the competition. Jay-Z about to go five times platinum and still alive. Him and (Master) P. They are doing that. That's real and that's competition and that's love. But the downside of it is, you got artists out there, major artist, that when they album don't sell they blame it on us and look down on the South and look down on No Limit. But we sold 26 million albums last year, so I don't care what you think. That's the downside because nobody learn from the Pac and Biggie thing. What if we just get upset and be like I'm tired of you runnin' your mouth. Don't be mad at us. The people buy our albums and buy your albums. If they're not feeling you, then it's something you're not doing. Don't say we done messed it up.

So is that what you would like to see change about Hip-Hop?

Yes. Man stop running your mouth. Just do what you gotta do. Don't blame it on us. Do what you gotta do. If it's real and it's tight, people are gonna buy you and love you.

A lot of the people on No Limit are getting into movies now, are you going to have your own movie or star in an upcoming movie?

Yeah, (Master) P got something ready for me. Then I got stuff outside No Limit were I read for parts and I got'em and it's just on me to take them if I want them. P prepared me well. He put it out there for me and now it's up to me to do what I gotta do.

What is the future of Mr. Servon and what do you want people to know about you?

That in a minute I'm gonna be somebody that you gonna deal with and recognize and you gonna feel what he doin', as far as music wise. Business wise I know I'm gonna be one of the biggest entrepreneurs that comes from this Rap game. Not as big as my boss P, because that's the man.

If you had the whole Hip-Hop nation listening to you, what would you want to tell them?

This is all we got and instead of bickering in between us and being jealous of each other and lashing out at each other, you need to just sit back and come together and deal with it and acknowledge each others success. Help the other man. If he's not as successful, you help him out. And if you're not as successful, call the man that is and try to get with him and roll with it because it's all we got. SDU