People do what they gotta do to survive or stay in the game but I never understood why she came at Nicki in the first place. – Short Dawg on Lil Kim

Last week, YM’s Short Dawg chopped it up with HitHipHop to talk his new mixtape Southern Flame Spitta 2, working with Lil Wayne, seized hip hop blogs, Lil Kim‘s diss record to Nicki Minaj & plenty more. Peep the full interview after the jump!

First things first, what does the hip-hop game mean to you?

It means everything to mean me man cuz I’m part of the hip hop culture, you know. To me it’s just my whole way of life. My whole daily routine is based around hip hop.

And what is your daily routine? Describe a day in your shoes.

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Uhm, I try to wake up around noon. Cause I probably been in the studio till about six, so I try to at least wake up around noon. Get up, eat. Check my emails for any features that came through or any songs, new beats. Download them, do a little tweeting. Then probably roll out to the streets. Uh, be in a couple cars see what’s going on, slide by the studio or go by a friends crib until like 10 or 11 and that’s when I like to fall off to the studio, unless it’s one of those days that I’m at the crib watching movies and that’s pretty much how it go. It’s just a ongoing cycle everyday.

How was being on tour & once being signed to So So Def prepared you in this industry?

You know it thought me a lot cause back then I was much younger so I was pretty new to the industry so it allowed me and it prepared me for what I’m seeing now and what’s to come in the future, you know?

Definitely. Now can you name some of your musical influences?

[audio:https://karencivil.com/home/karencivil/karencivil.com/2010/12/Short-MusicalInfluence.mp3]

Being that my favorite rapper is Jadakiss & my favorite group is The Lox, I grew up listening to them so I’m influenced by that. And I’m also influenced by the whole Screw culture back in Texas. DJ Screw, Fat Pat, Big Hawk, Lil Keke, Big Moe, you know, UGK of course. And definetly Maroon 5, I love all they work.

Now I’ve heard that you attended the University of Texas A&M. Do you plan on going back to school? And what was your major?

I studied Philosophy but as far as going back, I don’t know. I would have to complete the task at hand right now before I consider going back. But it could happen!

Where does your nickname “Elvis Freshley” originate from?

Everybody knows I say Fresh a lot. I might see my homeboy and like “What up Fresh?” or “Fresh what’s good?”. And I was recording/working on some music with a producer friend of mine and I adopted the name “Elvis Freshley” cuz I’ve been working on alternative music as well.

You just released a new mixtape Southern Flame Spitta 2 last week. If you had to pick your favorite joint off the project, which would it be?

“Stay Fresh” joint with me and Birdman. “9 To 5” with me and Shanell. “Miss Me” is one of my favorite freestyles along with “June 27th” – which I called “For My City” on the tape tho.

You also got a track with Lil Wayne on the mixtape as well – any plans for more now that he’s been released?

Definitely. We stay working. I’m actually about to head back to Miami right now so lookout for more Short Dawg/Lil Wayne collabs to come.

And Weezy, how’s he been doing?

He’s great. He’s great. Back at work like he never missed a beat.

Good to hear. What are your plans for 2011?

I’m anxious to try & get this album out next year. So we focusing on building on my buzz, building my brand so that 2011 not only will my neighbors & my peers know my talent, but the whole world.

Is there anyone specific that you would like to work with on your upcoming project?

Definitely wanna work with Pharrell & Swizz Beatz. Me & Swizz known each other for a good 4 years now so it we be great to finally work together.

Word, good luck with that. Now I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the US Government recently seizing a handful of major hip hop blog sites.. If so, what are your thoughts?

[audio:https://karencivil.com/home/karencivil/karencivil.com/2010/12/Short-SeizedWebsites.mp3]

I don’t really know too much about that but to whatever the case may be you know I feel bad for people who use that as their musical outlet. And to the hosts of the websites, if there was any illegal activity going on, I feel bad that it happened but I know that a lot of times, you know, people that don’t have deals or new artists use those blog sites to get their music heard & noticed, so it kinda sucks that it happened.

Definitely, let’s hope they leave us alone! Now before we let you go, can you comment on Lil Kim’s recent diss track Black Friday aimed at Nicki Minaj & your Young Money fam?

[audio:https://karencivil.com/home/karencivil/karencivil.com/2010/12/Short-NickiKimBeef.mp3|titles=Short-NickiKimBeef]

I don’t get involved with that, she dunno what she saying. You know that’s how it is sometimes when you once was at a certain place in the game and you look up and you’re not there no more, know what I’m saying? Sometimes people do what they gotta do to survive or stay in the game but I never understood why she came at Nicki in the first place but at the end of the day, it is what it is, know what I’m saying?