Next year will be Suga J’s 25th year in the entertainment industry, but he almost didn’t make it out of year 24. In February, Suge, while driving his Range Rover in New York, was involved in a collision with a garbage truck. Miraculously, he walked away mostly unscathed save for a few bumps and bruises. Being able to work with the likes of Dapper Dan, Diddy, Ma$e, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Busta Rhymes and Nelly as a fashion designer (he has his line Respeckfully through his Members Club company)/celebrity stylist/rapper all these years, Suge always felt he was blessed. Yet, surviving his car accident has brought his faith to new heights.
The man who was introduced to the world in 1999 as part of Ma$e’s Harlem World group, just dropped a new song and video today called “Change The Game.” The Harlem native details his accident and sends praises up above for his survival. While Suga J is ready his EP Restoring The Feelings, VIBE caught up with the uptown entrepreneur to talk about his record and that faithful February night that he describes as a “wake up call.”
VIBE: Let’s just talk about the accident, man. What the hell happened that night?
Suga J: Oh man, it happened so fast. Basically I got cut off by a garbage truck. I was an exit away from my house and, you know, garbage truck just cut me off. I tried to swerve him, but I was just already too late. Luckily, I did swerve ’cause I actually ran right into him. So I swerved out the lane. I was kind of in the first lane exiting it off, and he was on the service road lane exiting in it and coming into my lane. I swerved over to the second lane and it kind of just basically hit him.
Was it one of the life-flash-in-front-of-your-eyes type situations? Were you knocked unconscious? Did you wake up in the hospital? What was the aftermath?
As far as the aftermath, by the grace of God, I jumped right up. I hopped right up, basically. Thank God for the airbags, thank God for that seatbelt. The airbags and the seatbelt saved me from going through the window.
What were the extent of your injuries?
Through the grace of God man, no major injuries, no amputations, nothing cut off, no wheelchair. It was a blessing. God bless the dead, you know, Huddy (close friend to Suga J, Cam’ron and Mase), that was kind of the same way [he died]. And actually, my accident, it happened like five minutes away from where Huddy had his accident’s happened on the George Washington Bridge. So he definitely was an Angel watching over me
Damn man. I know you started getting flashbacks about Huddy how everything transpired, so close to where he passed away.
Right? Definitely that was a wake up call. I could imagine what he went through and him not being able to make it out. The impact alone took him out. So all that was just crossing my mind, like, as soon as I caught that impact. And for me, the shock, just to know that I was alive and I was able to get out. I knew everything else was extra. I left in the ambulance and then I kind of blacked out after that.
Your new song and video was inspired by the near tragedy.
I said “No broken bones, no fractures/Just a few scratches/I survived car crashes with the roof backwards/My new range could have been my new casket.”
When did you record this song?
I went to the studio a week after, had to get it off my chest. I spoke to Bussa Bus [Busta Rhymes]. Bus said, ‘Nah man, you gotta document this, man. You gotta do this one right man, you gotta talk about it, man. You get it off your chest, do it.’ Right. After I did the record, I reached out to Stacy Barthe because I needed that pain. I needed a female voice on it. She poured out from her heart.
Then I reached out to the choir to implement Harlem. A lot of people were pointing a finger at this new choir called Sing Harlem. They’re big, they’re major. They’ve performed for the Obamas, they’ve been on all types of performances on Fox and NBC. It was a honor for me to have them be a part of this song and video.
When you have a record like that, that’s so personal, for some artists it’s kind of painful for them to just go back and think about it and write it out. For others, it’s therapeutic and the lyrics may just pour out. What was this process like for you?
It really was from the heart. So this was really kind of one of the easiest records, but it was so painful and so soul touching. I just really spoke from the heart. I couldn’t believe after the fact, the things that came out, pause! How I was able to capture the moment and put it into written word to where the world will understand and feel a pain as well.
What was it like shooting the video?
That was a blessing in disguise. First of all, I have to thank Benny Boom. I watched Benny Boom throughout his career. Working with him was amazing, man, I’m still speechless.
What would you want people to take away just from not just seeing you survive this, this accident, but when they hear the song and they see the video? What do you want the biggest takeaway for people to be?
Appreciate life, man. I just want people to appreciate life. Do good by others and always appreciate the moment that you’re living in. Tomorrow is not promised, that’s for real.
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