Plan of attack, Yung Joc

When it comes to hitting it big, Atlanta rapper says nothing gets in his way

By WAYNE BLEDSOE

What would Yung Joc buy when he makes his first million dollars?
“What do you mean ‘make’?” asks Joc, pointedly.

Point taken.

Joc, whose current hit “I Know You See It” has climbed up to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, made a million dollars on the success of his No. 1 R&B and rap hit “It’s Goin’ Down” and his debut album, “New Joc City.”

Born Jasiel Robinson, the Atlanta native was given his nickname by his mother, who decided her son was going to be rich just like wealthy patriarch Jock Ewing on the TV show “Dallas.”

In a cell phone call while riding to an airport in Kansas City, Joc says he is driven to succeed.

“It scares people around me sometimes,” says Joc, “because I’m a guy if I got an idea I don’t care what you do to try to stop me, I’m gonna go with that idea.”

Joc’s ideas seem to be paying off pretty well. “New Joc City” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Much of the disc’s allure comes from Joc’s ability to move from drama to humor in his songs. However, he says, his success has something to do with good planning in a competitive field.

He says it helps if you can imagine yourself as a fan watching another artists’ career. Last year Young Jeezy, with whom Joc is sometimes compared, was on top of the charts.

“Being in the fan’s shoes you have to analyze it,” says Joc. “If you find yourself saying ‘Hey, he’s slippin’ ’ that’s when you have to position yourself into making your move. Jeezy was doing the thing. I thought, I’m gonna have to come out soon. If I can get ahead a little bit while Jeez is slowing down working on his next (album) then I can get on. And it happened. I plan my work and I work my plan and it worked! Ching-ching!”

Joc realized early on that there was a little something different from him than his peers. However, he says, it wasn’t until other people pointed it out that he realized it:

“I thought that I was like everybody else. Other people would point out, like ‘Man, everybody else was out playing with bikes or skateboards and having fun and you got a telescope or microscope. You’re off doing something else. You building club houses in your basement out of baby beds and old sheets and mattresses.’ It was always something different for me.”

He was mischievous as well, driving his parents to distraction, and even spent a little time in jail.

“I was in and out for little stupid (expletive),” says Joc. “Traffic violations (and other petty crimes). It taught me I don’t want to be a part of that system. I don’t want to be a statistic, you know what I’m saying? I don’t want to be ‘in the population of.’ Locked down and incarcerated. That ain’t me.”

Joc definitely has ambition.

“I want to be one of those cats pushing buttons as opposed to being a puppet,” he says.

He’s already thinking of investing in hotels.

“I got to thinking, ‘Well, real estate you can do one of two things. With a house or anything commercial, you can rent it out and get money once a month or you can get a hotel and make money every day – every day, all day. You may make money at 1 a.m. Look at Hilton. Look at Marriott. They had a vision. They had to start somewhere. Now look at them.”

At the moment, though, Joc is enjoying his first million. And what was his first splurge?

“You wouldn’t believe me, man.”

No?

“You’ll think I’m lying if I tell you. I went out and bought an Atlanta Braves fitted cap. Spent 33 dollars on it.”

But that isn’t the end of the story.

“You know if you’re a millionaire and you gotta spend a penny you ain’t a millionaire no more?”

Joc sold the hat to a friend for $5.

“I had a million dollars, spent that $33. Sold the hat back because I was down $5 and I had a million dollars again. So I became a millionaire twice!”

Joc laughs.

“Think about it!”

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