The Source Magazine chopped it up with “Love & Hip Hop” stars Peter Gunz and Saigon. Saigon talks his latest album and whether he will be making an Entourage cameo and Peter Gunz talks about family, how he is portrayed on the show and his son Corey Gunz’ latest album. 

Q: Saigon, what made you want to join the cast of “Love & Hip Hop”?

Saigon: Because overtime that shit came on last season and the season before everybody who knew my real life was like “Why are you not on this sh*t ni–a? You epitomize hip hop and your love life is topsey turvey.” They were like “This is perfect for you at this time in ya career” and I’ve always been a transparent artist. I’ve always put my personal life in my music ever since day one. My first single was pain in my life. So I was telling you “I’m hurting mother f—-er.” I always was an artist that personalized myself for my fans, so I was like what better way to do it than on VH1 with 8 million mother fu–ers watching.

I did it in my music all the time that’s the kind of artist I’ve always been, transparent like an Eminem or a DMX. When Eminem came out we knew he hated his baby mama, we knew he hated his moms, we knew his daughters name was Hailey and that’s the reason why we felt like we knew this kid. So I felt like I was really missing that branch for people to personalize with me as an individual and the opportunity came along.

Q: Gunz, how does it feel to be part of “Love & Hip Hop”? Do you feel like you’re being represented, correctly?

Peter Gunz: I feel the foundation is there, the template is there, there’s a few thing that I would never ever in a million years do. It gets embellished a little bit and they get mad at me for saying this. There’s a few that get a little out of character for me, but the foundation of what’s going on on that show is basically my life. I would be a liar to tell you that I’m not seeing both chicks and I didn’t marry one, while I was still with my baby’s moms. I’ll give you an example they’re not showing that we wasn’t on the best of terms – not that that gives me the right to go out and marry or nothing like that, but it was very bad, our relationship, like we thought we was at the end of the road. Although that’s no excuse that’s just the best explanation I’m going to be able to give you. It’s just that when you think you’re at the end of the road and that any day now it’s going to go left and you’re basically there helping out with the kids and the bills because you know my kids mom is from Mississippi and I’m all she has here and y’all thinking it’s the end of the road…I think that it’s looking like I just jumped out the window and got married while everything was all gravy. I think that bothers me a lot, but other than that everything is accurate. That’s where I’m living, that’s my raggedy couch, that’s my kids, yeah we play in the back yard and my feet were dirty. I could have easily rented a house and got nice cars. Nah! I took the train to the city. I live a little less than my means because I take care of all of my kids. I make sure my daughter’s in private school. I make sure my kids have. So I live below my means, so my kids can live. That’s why you don’t see me in jewelry and fancy cars. I drive an old car, I live in a basement apartment because the extras I got go towards my seeds; “If you made ‘em accommodate ‘em” that’s my motto. I don’t buy myself nothing I think of my kids first. With that being said, it doesn’t excuse being nice to your kids and then being a scumbag to their moms.

Saigon: Put it like this – look at Peter’s story, not to interrupt I just want to chime in a little bit, if I was Peter this is how I’d look at it because we’re dealing with a show where 90% of the audience is probably females and we understand females are very opinionated and I was on there and every female looked at me like I’m a foul mother fu–er when I had a real concern. The thing is I’d rather be called a f–ed up person and a good father than, a f–ed up father and a good guy. So that’s just how I look at it because my job is to make sure my children grow up better than me and I know Peter’s doing that 100% and I know that’s my goal. Me and Erica Jean we’re adults we live our lives you know what I’m saying…so we give these kids better lives and not make it about us.

Q: Also, Gunz have you been getting compared to Stevie J?

Peter Gunz: All the time…I met homeboy once I never watched “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” but now that I’m in the sh*t I understand people with the comparisons to me because he with his side joint, his baby moms they ain’t together no more so I get the whole…Amina’s a musician, I guess Joseline raps or something. So I get the comparisons I ain’t mad at it, but for people to say I’m trying to be Stevie J bothers me ’cause I’m not trying to be Stevie. But I hear it though. The difference I think between “Love & Hip Hop New York” and “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” is that sh*t is more comedy people watch that sh*t to laugh at Stevie J and Joseline “Stevie, Stevie” her accent and “I’m not going to the strip club” it’s more comedy. Our sh*t is real life like we dealing with our children and trying to be responsible and women’s emotions for real.  Like this sh*t is real. Like this is our real lives man and that’s what I think is the difference between us and them. That sh*t is a comedy our sh*t is more like a documentary.

Q: Saigon, do you think you’re going to continue with the reality show thing?

Saigon: I’ll tell you what, I got thick skin from being in the industry for years and the worst part of doing this is having to hear so many different peoples’ opinion of your life that they really know nothing about. You see what I’m saying? Other than that I’m sending my kids through college with this. Mona Scott is sending my kids to college. I started a trust fund and grants from the money I’m making from this. It could have been different, it’s just the timing was perfect. Especially that my son’s on the show he’s going to get paid too. He’s going to look back and say my dad was really thinking because he just turned 2 and he’s making money. Like I said my life is a reality show like I’m on the internet fighting Prodigy and guys chasing me down the street. I’m on there with girls going on World Star saying “Yeah Saigon I went on a date with him and he called me a bitch”. If you’re going to make my life a reality show, than let me do it and benefit from it. They’re doing it anyway.

 Q: You guys both watch the show, right?

Saigon: Peter doesn’t watch it as much as me. Sometimes I gotta go update Peter on certain things.

Peter Gunz: For instance, last week Rich Dollaz…She is out there screaming on he’s a bum, he’s beneath you. And he’s (Rich) not saying sh*t and his brother I know they got a real relationship outside of VH1 so I’m like “Yo, you supposed to G check her for that man” you don’t do that shit and the cameras is on. You sitting there being a bobble head f–ing doll man, that’s your brother

Saigon: We all go to Peter for advice he’s the wise owl, he’s the OVO Logo.

Peter Gunz: Thank you, Saigon!

Q: Do you guys think you’ve learned anything after seeing yourselves on TV?

Peter Gunz: You know what I learned? My right side is my good side. I’m just playing! What I learned is that I have to be more patient with people period. When somebody follows you around for six months, we started shooting in May and we finished in November, so they’re gonna catch moments you look back and say, “Sh*t I could have handled that better”. There’s times where I should have been more aggressive you know what I’m saying? A lot of times you forget them cameras are there because all this sh*t is real life situations you forget there’s a guy with a camera there.

Q: Saigon, are you going to be part of the “Entourage” Movie?

S: I’m praying…I’ve been talking to Doug Ellin who’s the creator of the show, who’s a great friend of mine and we’ve been talking. “Entourage” is a loosely based a reality show, actually, because I played Saigon. I was a guy looking for a deal, which was my real life situation. I’m definitely trying to get in that movie because number one what we did in that time period was unprecedented it was like a male “Sex and the City” and nobody expected it to work on that level, but it did and it was like the first time something like that worked. I’m a part of that brand whether you want to admit it or not, so I would definitely like to see it at its climax.

Q: Gunz, are you still managing Cory Gunz and what projects do both of you have coming out?

Peter Gunz: You know my thing with Cory is as manager…it’s not really management I’m just his father helping him out the best I can, but that’s just my position I still overlook everything that he does. He’s finishing up his album man he’s still on Young Money finishing that up he got a couple of hot records on there finishing up some features and hopefully top of the year you’ll hear that.

Saigon: And I’m going to be the first one to tell you this Cory Gunz is besting right now like this kid got a new found hunger for this sh*t. Look out for that kid.

Q: Sai any upcoming projects anything you want to mention?

Saigon: Yeah I’m dropping my single its called “Best Mistake” it comes out on Monday and I got “Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 3.” DJ Premier did damn near half the album, after all these years this is my first work with Premier, Just Blaze is still the executive producer. I got the real hip-hop. When I go in the studio, I just want to make great hip hop I don’t think about what works at radio or making a catchy jingle, I want to do the sh*t that gives me goose bumps and that bullsh*t don’t give me goose bumps. Like I’m in there with Buckwild, real hip hop heads who’ll tell you “Nah this ain’t it.” So February my new album it’s definitely my most proud of work of art. Just Blaze didn’t do every record… plus we didn’t have a 800,000$ budget, but as far as me lyrically and what Premier brought to the table…I wanted beats to sound like Premier that Premier sh*t. That’s what I asked for because a lot of times people try to run away from their sound. That sound is what creates you, that sound is why you’re Premier so I want a Premier sound, so I got a lot of that on my album. I got Big Daddy Kane on my album. Big Daddy Kane don’t come out for nobody to do features and verses. I got Omar Epps on my album…

Peter Gunz: You ain’t get Gunz on there, yet!

Saigon: I got Omar Epps rapping on skits. Sai never stops!