Shawty Putt is a refreshing artist. He’s an Atlanta artist to the core and he doesn’t make any apologies for it. He doesn’t follow trends. He just does him. You won’t hear him rapping about being the biggest drug dealer in the world or about being the most dangerous gangster either. He won’t brag about material items that he doesn’t own yet and he keeps it honest which is a rare quality in a hip-hop artist today.

With his single "Dat Baby" burning up, he obviously is doing something right. Sixshot.com caught up with Shawty Putt to discuss growing up in the ATL, why he’s a breath of fresh air in hip-hop, and working with Lil Jon.

Sixshot.Com: All right Shawty, you’re from Atlanta right?

Shawty Putt: Shit, you already know.

Sixshot.Com: All right man, so what was life like for you growing up in the ATL?

Shawty Putt: I mean for real man I really came up on some regular shit. I wasn’t no crazy little kid runnin’ around causing all kind of serious trouble and all that. My mom didn’t smoke no crack or nothin’ like that. It was fun man. I was blessed. I was blessed to be able to experience the fun in life, you know?

Sixshot.Com: Absolutely, so what steered you towards hip-hop?

Shawty Putt: I was in the Marines for a year and I got kicked out for smokin’ weed and fighting and all that kind of shit man. My homeboy back then he used to rap, you know? I used to see him doing his thing writing freestyles and raps and songs and all that. I was a big fan of hip-hop so when I saw him doing it eventually I wanted to do the same thing so I started to get into as well man. I was kicked out of the military and I was home and I needed to find that other route to take. I was like shit, I’m gonna start trying to get down on this rappin’ thing too, you know what I’m sayin’? We were messin’ with cats like Jim Crow and they were with Goodie Mob and all that so I just got into it man. I got into it heavy. I ended up being on a few major albums and I was working with all kinds of producers.

Sixshot.Com: You work with Lil Jon. How did you get up with him?

Shawty Putt: He had actually known me from way back in the day, you know what I’m sayin’? I had this cat too who was drawin’ up a little contract for me as well and he knew Lil Jon so we got up and we talked. We started getting’ in the studio and vibin’ and whatnot. He booked studio time for like 30 days at a studio that I worked at and I ain’t really have shit to do. Lil Jon ended up givin’ me a beat and so I took the shit home and I was working hard on it.

We brought it back to Lil Jon and he though it was hot so it ended up being a track with Lil Scrappy. He was feelin’ that shit so he told me that when he was getting ready to record his album he was gonna call me up and shit. Time went by and eventually I got the call and shit so I went over there and we put in that work on the album, you know what I’m sayin’? We did a lot of bangin’ shit together and all that so it worked out real well for everybody.

Sixshot.Com: Your single is killin’ it right now. Are you happy with the response that you’re getting?

Shawty Putt: Man, 'Dat Baby' is doin’ real well and the shit is goin’ crazy on the internet man. People are downloading all types of crazy shit and all that. I go on the internet and I see people made they own version of the song. I see cats dancing to it on videos on Youtube. The shit is crazy man. That shit makes you realize that the shit is hot and you’re doin’ something right, you know what I’m sayin’?

Sixshot.Com: Being born and raised in Atlanta did you ever think there would be so much opportunity for up and coming MC’s out there?

Shawty Putt: I mean I ain’t gonna say I was guessing that this shit was gonna happen but I ain’t totally surprised either. I mean ATL was always kinda doin’ that shit, you know what I’m sayin’? We had that Outkast shit and that Goodie Mob shit man, you know? Those are the dudes that knocked down the door for us and all that. I guess I could say that I’m a little surprised that it got this big actually. I never doubted it though.

Sixshot.Com: New artists are popping up all the time now. What would you say you’re bringing to the table that it doesn’t already have?

Shawty Putt: Man what I can really tell you is that I’m just bringin’ myself man. I ain’t trying to be no super gangster. I ain’t trying to be no trap star and all of that. I done did all that shit too, you know what I’m sayin’? I done sold drugs. I done did that but I ain’t gonna talk about the shit in my music all day, you know? I’m just bein’ your average dude man. I’m not trying to be like anybody but myself.

Sixshot.Com: You think fans will think it’s refreshing that an artist isn’t trying to be the gangster or the rich dude or the thug?

Shawty Putt: Shit man, I think so because everybody always talking about they keepin’ shit real but what I’m doin’ is the definition of keeping it real because I’m not tryna be anything I’m not, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m just being me and that’s all I can do. There’s a lot of people out there that ain’t tryna be things they ain’t so they gonna relate to it. I ain’t tryna be out of reach for nobody, you know what I’m sayin’? Shit man, niggas is always runnin’ around trying to say they got this and they got that and trying to run around with some Lamborghinis or something like that.

I ain’t really trying to bring that to the table man. I won’t front. I would love to drive a Lamborghini but I ain’t gonna talk about it all day because everybody ain’t got that and everybody don’t want to hear about that. Everybody is talkin’ that shit now and I mean they could be a nigga like that but a lot of times I’m sure they not. It ain’t my thing to run around talkin’ about shit like that. You just gotta do whatever you want to do and that’s it man.

Sixshot.Com: All right Shawty, what do you have coming up that we can look out for?

Shawty Putt: Oh man we got 'Dat Baby 'featuring Too Short. It’s available on Itunes now so get that. Google Shawty Putt. Look for me on the internet. Hit me up at www.myspace.com/shawtyputt. I got the t-shirt line coming up soon. I’m just trying to get a hold of the whole situation man. Other than that everybody should look out for the album. Thanks to all the fans for all the love and support.