Rapper, Huey who is most known for his song “Pop Lock & Drop It” premiered a new video entitled, “Hello To All My Haters” this past weekend. Originally premiered by Worldstar, the video garnered over six millions views and was picked up by every urban blog by the end of the week including Sohh.com, XXL and HipHopDX.

Conversation with Huey

Orchestrated by director and filmmaker, Littles -the video features appearances by Chingy, Young Spiffy & the St. Lunatics’ Murphy Lee and Kyjuan. Huey wrote the appreciative rap ode to thank those who motivate him to be better through their attempts to bring him down. “I know it’s the opposite of what you thought I would say but I’m cool and relaxed so I just smile & wave,” he writes. Cool and relaxed is not what many would expect from anyone who survived an attempt on their life.

According to documented reports a shoot-out that resulted in a triple homicide was a direct intention to end the life of the rapper who used his talent to rise above hood stereotypes and become nationally recognized for a song created from a skit. In St. Louis all the “Pop, Lock & Drop It” craze along with MTV & B.E.T spins meant nothing to some. The crabs in a barrel ideology will always flourish when nihilism (the loss of hope) becomes an accepted way of thinking and living. Huey was trying to rise but he seemed to have gotten caught up in the crossfire of jealousy and success.

The incident changed his mind-set. Three people were dead. This was real life. He had traveled around the country being embraced for his talent by strangers only to realize that what would hurt him the most was that which was closest to him. Huey became reclusive and seemed to take a backseat in his own life observing from a distance as everyone else participated in their perception of his life and what they thought they knew. Huey’s relationship with his record label, Jive Records was questioned. The direction of his career under A&R expert and B.E.T’s The Deal host- Memphitz Wright fell under scrutiny. An earlier dispute between Nelly that is now non-existent also complicated the focus of Huey’s mere artistry as an MC. Rumors ran rampant and in St. Louis the status of Huey’s mere existence became a guessing game of whether he was dead, alive or incarcerated. Vibe, The Riverfront Times, XXL and almost every hip hop blog published their versions of what happened that deadly night.

Huey remained silent. He just wrote.

For a moment, anger had developed and the comical, fun rapper thing diminished through every insult administered towards him and the realization that he could have been dead. Ironically a sense of urgency to excel and bring his city together erupted out of months spent sequestered from the public, clubs and shows. “I learned a lot from my surroundings. I learned a lot from my management and Hitz committee. Hitz is cool. I learned from my label. I learned from my city. Now I’m moving into a new direction”. Huey’s new single, “Smile & Wave” features Dorrough and “On Another Planet” featuring Lil’ Wayne seems to be a favorite for many.