Remy Danton
All Star
Harlem, New York is known as the home of the hustler. While the Big Apple as a whole is a hotbed for money makers and big dreamers, once you cross 110th Street it's a whole different game with an innumerable amount of players participating with the highest of stakes on the line. Street titans ranging from Bumpy Johnson to Guy Fisher have immortalized themselves as legendary figures in the concrete jungle due to their wealth, charm, and code of ethics, helping to set the template for generations of hustlers to come.
Names like Fritz and Rich Porter are held in high regard as some of the most respected men to walk the streets of Harlem U.S.A., their lives being depicted on the big screen and written about in magazines for the world to see. But for people like Ms. Tee, these stories unfolded in real-time and were far from entertainment. Born and raised in Harlem, Ms. Tee was in the mix during what many consider the golden era of the drug game and affiliated with a few of the most notorious movers and shakers that roamed the streets in the late '80s and throughout the '90s.
Bowing out from the game gracefully, Ms. Tee decided to write a memoir revolving around her days in the street and the men in her life, which include Lou Simms, the alleged enforcer of Harlem street gang, 142nd St. Lynchmob and a man prosecutors claimed was responsible for ten murders, and Baby Maine, a charismatic kingpin from Lincoln Projects that was slain following an alleged beef with rapper-turned-pastor Ma$e in the late '90s.
Aside from street lore, the book also includes strong messages for young women who may be drawn to the fast life as well as words directed to young men on. We spoke with Ms. Tee about how Rich Porter got those bricks he was killed over in the first place, the feud between Ma$e and Baby Maine, her and Lou Simms' feelings on Dipset and Jim Jones, memories of Big L, her new book, Harlem Heroine, and more.
Preezy: I know you've said you've had this book in the works for 10 years, but can you remember the day you really decided to go forth with it or what sparked the process?
Ms. Tee: Well, what happened is when my little brother was killed in 2000, I was going through a lot [and] that damn near killed me in itself. And living in New York, I was almost going through a breakdown so I ended up moving to Atlanta at the end 2005-2006 and I was like, 'you know what, let me just start putting pen to paper' and that's exactly what I did. And it was because of him, Maine's passing let me put pen to paper and start writing my story and that's how it happened.
The whole book basically takes place in Harlem. What sets someone from Harlem apart from somebody from,say,a Brooklyn or Bronx?
I'm not sure, but i think we are different from the boroughs from back in the days to now. Brooklyn had their little own thing going on. Of course, Uptown was always known as getting money and doing what we do, flossing and all that stuff. I don't know, I think there is a difference, even fro the Bronx and Harlem, we just move different, the swag is different. I can't pinpoint it, but we just do things differently. l I don't know today so much, but I know back then there was definitely a difference in how we move in Uptown and Brooklyn. Even [clothes], we used to dress differently.
You acknowledge you came from a pretty good home and weren't forced into the street-life. Why would you say people often fall into that life when it's unnecessary?
Curiosity. Two things, one would be curiosity and peer pressure or just being influenced by others. Mine, I was never influenced by anybody, I was always a leader and always doing what I wanted to do. So I would think mine was curiosity I always had that infatuation with the fast life or the street life. From a young age, I loved to dress. My mom always dressed me decent, but it's like if I want what I want, the type of clothing that I want then I need to get the money.' Then it was like 'OK, I needed to get fast money in order to do the things that I like to do. And then at a young age, me and my girl, we taught each other to drive, so that way we could get cars to drive from the hustlers]. So I would say it was curiosity was mine and could be peer pressure for others.
How would you describe what is what like coming up in Harlem during that era?
Growing up in Harlem... the lifestyle, it was fun. Going out of town, doing different things, getting money and being around men and women that were getting money. Although there were things going on [it's] unlike today. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it was right anybody was getting killed, but it was specific, there were reasons; not like now, you see people getting killed and its reckless and its absolutely over nothing. Back then it was over some real money or some type of disrespect. It was just the life that everybody lived and it just made things fun, whether it was parties or going out of town or doing certain things. There were things that happened, things that a lot of us got caught up in and unfortunately those things led to some of us not even being here anymore. And although I have some issues and some events that have happened in my life, I don't think I would trade anything because the experience is why I was able to complete this project in the first place and made me the strong person I am today.
What was your first foray into the game without giving away too much? I know you spoke of your Uncle Stan in your book being a heavy player, did he put you on?
That was really it. I was interested in hustling and getting money and making my own money. So when he gave me some bags of dust to sell, I was like 'yeah.' It wasn't even nothing like 'don't do this,' [and] I wanted to do it. And then where I did it at, 123rd and 7th Ave in Harlem, that area right there, you would have to have been there to understand 'cause when I say it was just crowded with people and street legends of getting money and I was 15 just looking around, like 'damn, I'm down here' and that was it really. He gave me that [and] that was something I wanted to do cause at the end of the day, I needed money. I wouldn't [necessarily] say I needed it, but I wanted it and I wanted more of it
You reference Lou Simms AKA Homicide Lou, the alleged leader of The Lynch Mob that police pegged as a violent drug gang. What was your relationship with Lou?
I knew Lou since I was like a little girl like, 6-7 years old, something like that, because he used to come to my house and run around with my cousin, Ronnie Ball. I knew he had ended up going away or whatever,so I remembered him as a child, but then we bumped into each other I think a year or two after he got out and he saw me walking up 8th Avenue and I ran up on him and that's really how it started. He said something, but then he left, but then he ended up coming back around, we ended up talking and that's how our love affair started.
Lou Simms was one of the most feared men in Harlem's History, but also one of the most respected. What would you say outweighs the other, the respect or the fear?
Fear. I think it was more fear than anything.
There was a recent dispute between Charlie Clips, who happens to the son of Charles Redden, and another battle rapper named Brown over who was the actual top dog of The Lynch Mob and if his father cooperated. Would you be able to clear that up by any chance?
I'll say it like this. You always have two people, you always have one that stocks the money and then you have the muscle. Lou would be the muscle and then the other guy ---- 'cause the other guy was my daughter's Godfather, I know exactly who you're talking about. So, I would say he's the one that was in charge in a sense because behind getting all the money and making things happen. You had to have that level-headed person, but he wasn't a gun-slinger, you know what I'm saying? He wasn't muscle, Lou was the muscle.
That's who Fat Boy is in my book. So it's like, if you want to say there was two heads of the gang, you could kind of say that in a sense because when things needed to be done, like, if you got people that's owing money and you're not strong enough to get that money then you would need someone with power that does that and that would have been Lou. Because if you don't have that person and you ain't really about that, then the empire is gonna go down because if you getting juxed left and right and nobody's really respecting you, then you gotta have that other person that's gonna be in charge. So if you wanna say there were two heads of the game that were making things happen and work for the crew, then that's how it went. You had one that was getting the money and about business and you had one that was the enforcer.
There's been talk if Fat Boy cooperated against Lou Simms or not. Would you care to speak on that?
Well, what I know or what I've been told, allegedly... I don't think it's something that Fat Boy really wanted to do, cause like I said, the love that he had with Lou, it was definitely there, but I guess when things like that happen, people get nervous. I don't think he started out wanting to do that. I think what happened - or what was said - is that he decided to cooperate and then when the time comes when people probably feel like 'damn, I really gotta get up and probably say something in front of people or I may have to take the stand,' to my understanding, his story started to change and when that happened that's when Lou was offered a deal and Fat Boy's plea deals was actually ripped up. And he's actually doing more time than Lou; if I'm not mistaken, I think he's doing life. Which is crazy because Lou's situation is he was down as someone who actually committed murders or gave the direction to do it [and] Fat Boy, to my understanding, he never killed anyone, but yet, from my understanding, he's doing life. And that's only because he decided to cooperate, allegedly, and when he tried to take [his statements] back, he and another guy, their plea deals were ripped up and I think both were getting life. And that's just what it is
You were also affiliated with Fritz, who fronted Rich Porter the bricks that Alpo shot him over in Paid In Full? He was your baby father's right hand man, correct?
We became cool because a friend of mine was close to him, he was kind of an uncle to her and I started going down to 112th Street and Fritz actually introduced me to his partner that ended becoming my baby's father, Ace. Him and Ace lived together, they were partners, getting money together and making things happen in the street. Basically, if you wanted to become a boss, they created bosses in the street. They can create a Rich Porter or whoever because Fritz was a generous guy.
You reference Rich Porter and Alpo, but don't really mention AZ in the book, was there a specific reason for that?
Me and A are cool. We're cool because A and Ace is cool. Now, I know Rich Porter and what he did I didn't really have a street relationship with him. He and one of my exes Stormin' Norm were real tight, but I referenced him in the Paid In Full chapter as well as Alpo only because that was a story or subject that wasn't really told or factual as far as I'm concerned. Everybody Ioves Paid In Full as a hood classic and for the most part I would say everything in that movie is probably on point, but I just think there's a discrepancy about how that ransom money came about. Rich Porter went to Ace and Fritz for that help and he was the on that gave it to them.
You mention that while the media vilifies some alleged drug dealers from Harlem, but some who have passed have annual block parties thrown for em, like Kenny Hutch out in Wagner. Who are some of these figures they hold these events for and what set them all apart?
I never really knew him personally, I believe my little sister did, but I know when it happened, it was the talk of the town. And I have a friend from Wagner, a guy named Craig and they all was cool, but it was just an unfortunate thing that happened and it was terrible. And his baby was there, thank God they didn't hurt the baby..... he was definitely loved by Wagner.
Definitely Rich Porter, his sister makes sure that happens every year, she been doing that from the time that that happened. She definitely keeps that going, as well as the people who assist her with that every year. I know Jermaine's brother Stanley is having something for him, I believe on July 18 [called] Maine day. Usually they usually have Lincoln Day, but this years he's doing something for Maine over at Lincoln Projects.
You explore your relationships with many certified Harlem street figures, but your book is centered around Baby Maine aka Baby Jay. What made him stand apart from all of these people in your life?
When I met him at 15, they was just different. I would say like Rich Porter or Wild Al, you would think they were so much older because they was so much mature and these dudes were taking care of families and neighborhoods , like, they were really getting money. And when I met Maine [and his crew], they were 14, 15, 16 running from New York to DC getting money and taking care of us and it was just something that I had never seen. They were still kids in a sense because they would do kid stuff and do stupid stuff and we'd be in the house laughing at all the things that they do, But then on the other hand, when it came to taking care of business and holding themselves down in the streets, they did that. I think Rich Porter actually came up to one of the little young dudes that used to be at my house with Maine and offered him something to hustle, he was like 'nah, I'm good' and that's exactly what they did. And that's what made Maine stand out because he was gonna do his own thing. He was gonna create his own lane, which he did. He wasn't scared of nothing, he feared nothing or nobody. He was a little dude, but yet he carried himself like someone older that knew what he was doing and he was definitely respected for it, I have to give it to him, he really was he had to.
Or do she still got it?
