XL 106.7 Interview with Nick

(source from XL 106.7)

Kid Cruz & Nick Carter

XL 106.7 Interview

February 16, 2002

Cruz: XL 106.7, what’s going on? Kid Cruz talking to Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, what’s going on man?

Nick: What’s up fool?

Cruz: What are you doing today, man?

Nick: Man, I am out on my boat chillin’ dawg.

Cruz: What is this about a Nick Carter race team, boat racing team?

Nick: I started a boat racing team.

Cruz: When are you gonna start racing?

Nick: My dad is actually driving the boat. I’m the owner of the team.

Cruz: Are you even gonna show up? Are you gonna cheer it on? Are you gonna...

Nick: I’m gonna show up at all the races. No man, actually, ya know what?! If you could actually help me out I’m trying to get a sponsor involved.

Cruz: Are you really?

Nick: Yeah I need to find a sponsor. Like somebody who can, who wants to put their name on the side of my boat. I mean they got...they got airtime and everything. On like, Fox.

Cruz: Well you and I talking about it’ll certainly find you a sponsor. I can’t believe you haven’t found a sponsor already! C’mon.

Nick: I know, bro. I mean, ya know what it is?! Because, people look at it, this is a very professional type of racing, ya know, environment. Ya know, so we’re new to the, new to the whole thing so they’re kinda like, they’re very skeptical about getting involved with somebody. Cause, I mean, at the end of the day, even though a celebrity is involved in the race team, they, they still wanna have some credible, you know, racers.

Cruz: No, I understand. It’s tough to break in, you know...you’re like a rookie team. You’ve never done this before so you gotta get out there and prove yourself so...

Nick: Exactly. So, but still, I mean that...I’m puttin’ together a hell of a team. I got two of the best drivers. My dad’s a...you have to have two people driving the boat. One’s a throttle man and one uh, steering person. And my dad’s the steering person and I got a great throttle man so we’re gonna have a great team.

Cruz: So what are the top speeds of these boats?

Nick: Top speed’s 140 miles per hour on those...

Cruz: Geez! How fast have you been in one? You’ve driven, right?

Nick: I’ve, I’ve been about a hundred miles, so...

Cruz: Wow! I’m sure you’re uh, agents and insurance companies don’t like to hear that but...

Nick: No, that’s why I’m not racing the boat.

Cruz: (Laughs) Exactly.

Nick: But I will someday.

Cruz: We’re talking about a lot of stuff too. We’re gonna talk about the pay-per-view tonight, too. You gotta be awfully proud of everything you’re brother’s done. This is amazing!

Nick: Hell yeah. It’s great. He’s tearin’ it, he’s tearin’ it up man.

Cruz: He is tearin’ it up. It’s a lot different than when he used to hang out backstage and climb all over you’re security guys. He used to just hang around and use ‘em as jungle gyms and stuff.

Nick: (Laughs) I know!

Cruz: He’s doin’ really well so um, you helped him out with the pay-per-view. It’s on tonight on Time Warner cable, all the InDemand pay-per-views. It’s on at 8:00 tonight. It’s called “Aaron Carter’s Valentine Party.”

Nick: Yep!

Cruz: And uh, you joined the show. How long ago did you guys film this?

Nick: This show was um, actually it was his last tour that he did. But uh, I came on and I did two songs and sang on it so it’s gonna be on pay-per-view. I sang one of ‘em , and old Backstreet song and then I sang a cover tune, ya know?! So it’s, it’s really cool man and he’s uh, he’s a hell of a performer. Tell you what, kid’s definitely got some chops but you know, that’s why I had to come onstage and show him what’s up though, you know?!

Cruz: Yeah, you gotta keep him in check man! You can’t let him get too outta control yet.

Nick: Yeah, we did some fun stuff. We had, we had some fun! It’s definitely entertaining. You gotta watch it! I mean, he’s a nutcase man, that kid is, is crazy! But uh, I mean my whole family ya know we, we’re just fun, we’re just a bunch of...we like to have fun, man!

Cruz: I know, uh, I’ve seen the family up close and personal. You guys can be kind of nutty sometimes! But that’s a good thing, though. You know, that’s a good thing.

Nick: It’s all good! That’s what life’s all about.

Cruz: So what else have you been up to other than uh, getting the boat team together?

Nick: Well, besides putting the boat team together I’ve been well, recording some music. I’ve been recording some music and uh, we’re in talks right now about doing a solo project.

Cruz: Oh really?!

Nick: In, in talks. Don’t know yet, we’re um, I’m gonna talk to the fellas about it and everything.

Cruz: That’d be pretty cool. So obviously you have a few of those tracks, or potential tracks for the album done already then, right?

Nick: Yeah, we’ve been, I’ve been in recording for the past two months.

Cruz: What’s the style? How are you uh, evolving as a solo artist?

Nick: I don’t, I mean, I can’t, I’m always been very rock influenced. I like rock music a lot, so but I can’t really go too hard core rock though, I have to keep it pretty, I mean...put it this way! It’s kinda like re-inventing 80’s rock in a way, kinda like Bon Jovi and uh, you know, Bryan Adams. That type of stuff. Just basically, I’m gonna re-invent that kind of music. With uh, with uh Backstreet twist and uh, uh Nick Carter kind of a groove! I don’t know!! Something like that!

Cruz: Since you’re out on the boat you probably got a little time, Nick. Hang on and uh we’ll talk more about the Aaron Carter pay-per-view Nick is gonna be on tonight. It starts at 8:00 on your cable system. Wherever you normally get your pay-per-views. Aaron Carter’s Valentine’s Party with a little help from Nick Carter. We’ll talk more to Nick on XL 106.7 after this....

Break

Cruz: Today’s hit music, XL 106.7, that’s *NSYNC and Nelly the remix of “Girlfriend.” I’m Kid Cruz talkin’ to Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. What’s in your CD player these days, man? What are you listening to?

Nick: What am I listenin’? I’m prob...ya know, it’s funny, cause I don’t really. It depends. I like to, I like to go, I’ve always like oldies. And so I tend to find myself lookin’ back listenin’ to old music or, or uh, ya know mixin’ it up from country to rock to hard rock to pop to R&B. I mean, I can’t really say. I mean, yeah, I listened to...I played out Linkin Park so I can’t even listen to them no more. So, and then System of A Down I listen to all the time but uh, I mean R&B-wise, ya know, rap-wise, ya know I listened to who was it? Ja Rule. You know, I listen to...what the other, what’s the other guy’s name?

Friend talks in background

Nick: No, no, no...what’s the guys name? The um, no...um.......what’s the...what’s the guys...!? No, not Nelly. It’s another rapper.

Cruz: Ludacris? Juvenile?

Nick: Ludacris! That’s who I like. I love Ludacris! Ludcacris is probably like, my favorite rapper out right now! He’s definitely got a cool style, I like his style but uh, I mean I listen to everything, man! I like some of the, I like some of the new pop that’s out right now, ya know? But I think what’s gonna need to happen right now is gonna be a new, ya know, a new type of music being invented, ya know? The whole pop stuff, I mean it’s gonna be great but it’s gonna start, it’s gonna start turning into something new which that’s what makes the music industry really fun.

Cruz: Yeah, absolutely, I mean...it’s definitely starting to change already. It’s evolving a little bit. Are you going to...you guys have Grammy nominations or a Grammy nomination. Are you going out to the Grammy’s?

Nick: Yeah, yeah me and the fellas are goin’ out and doin’ a Grammy presentation. And we’re gonna sit there and hopefully win an award...hopefully!!

Cruz: I hope so.

Nick: I would love to win a freakin’ Grammy! (Laughs)

Cruz: Do you have a space cleared? Where you gonna put it? You got it all waitin’?

Nick: Uh, yeah! I’ve definitely got a space there! I definitely got a space waitin’...on my boat, right here! (Laughs) I’d have to carry it around in my back pocket everywhere I go just so I could pull it out and be like, and be like “You see this?! That’s a Grammy!”

Cruz: Alright, so here’s the deal. We’re gonna talk about your race team and the races are gonna be on Fox. So, if I help you get a sponsor they’re gonna get lots of visibility and everything. This is big time boat racing.

Nick: Yeah!

Cruz: So the deal is if I somehow help you get a sponsor then I get a boat ride or something outta this deal!

Nick: Well, put it this way...I need you, if you, if you’re gonna help me get a sponsor, either way if you don’t, I still need you to come down and have some fun and hang out because the whole, the whole boat racing stuff, it’s like, ya know it’s kinda like Mardi Gras but it’s like all, you know, basically ten races a season. So you go down, you have fun and you hang out. It’s great man! You have a blast.

Cruz: I’d love to. Aren’t you guys going to be racing soon in Daytona?

Nick: Yeah, we’re...the first race is in Daytona. But you need to be there man! Come down!

Cruz: I’ll check it out, I’ll go there. I think it’d be, it’d be a great time!

Nick: Come on down and hang out. The reason I got into the whole boat racing thing in the first place is because my dad, he’d always been a...driving the flat bottom boats which are pretty dangerous. He drove those when he was a lot younger and he’s always messed around with boats his whole entire life. So I was like...I just wanted to put him in a situation where he’s gonna actually compete in, in the real deal ya know, for once! And he’s really, really a great racer so that’s the reason I did this in the first place was yeah, just for my father. To see maybe a dream of his come true.

Cruz: That’s awesome. That’s really cool. He’s gotta be happy about that. I’ll be out there supporting you with my Team Carter racing shirt on or whatever you guys wear!

Nick: Yeah, you better! Come on out.

Cruz: So tonight...we gotta remind everybody, too. The uh, pay-per-view, Aaron Carter’s Valentine Party and apparently you got an invitation to the party because you’re performing in the show. It’s tonight InDemand pay-per-view at 8:00. It’s a 90 minute show and it’s only $19.95 which is a good deal to see Aaron perform and you guys do a couple of other songs together and you do songs on your own, right?

Nick: Yep. I do a couple songs on my own and I do a couple songs with Aaron. So it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be dope!

Cruz: Well, I don’t wanna take up too much of your time on the weekend. I’ll let you run and we’ll go ahead and hopefully find a sponsor for Team Carter Racing.

Nick: Alright, man! Hey, take care of yourself and thank you. Thank you .

Cruz: Thank you, Nick. I’m just glad you found time while you’re out on your boat. Aaron Carter’s Valentine’s Party is on pay-per-view tonight at 8:00, a 90 minutes special with Nick and Aaron performing together. It’s only about $20 and you’re gonna hear this song, new from Aaron Carter on XL 106.7, “I’m All About You...”

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