Born Samuel Nichols, Mista Cain is known and respected by those in the know across the South. He is the founder of Cain Muzik Mafia, a Baton Rouge-based music collective. Nichols rapped for fun in school and after he dropped out and began hustling in the streets, music became more than a hobby. About the same time he gained the unwanted attention of public officials and a special gang task force. In 2013 Mista Cain was detained with no bond for second-degree murder. After a lengthy trial, he was acquitted. In 2015, he left prison and began recording new music.

Mista Cain recently dropped Tha Verdict, his first official studio album. Coasting over Southern-Fried, reverb drenched street bangers, Mista Cain reflects on his post-prison life and how his murder trial and subsequent acquittal loom large over his state of mind. Featuring appearances from Boosie Badazz, Young Dolph, Starlito, Trouble, and Chrizz Michaels, with production from Mouse On The Track, Jon Boii, JTrax, and others, Tha Verdict is an impressive collection of street tales, marked by authentic observations, memorable banalities, and frank details about life in Baton Rouge.

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mista Cain to discuss his recent freedom, continued success, and how everyone should shoot somebody at least once.

I think Tha Verdict is an incredible piece of honest music. What has it been like performing songs from the project in Baton Rouge?

Thank you, thank you. I ain’t performed that motherf’er yet, but I do got my first album release party, April 1st, at Club X, over in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and bitches be turnt every time I go there.

What verse are you proudest of from Tha Verdict?

‘The Introduction,’ because I actually spoke the truth. Well, the whole Verdict the truth, but the introduction I actually touched key points of the message I’m trying to say.

Do you fear the police falsely arresting or imprisoning you in retaliation to you being acquitted?

Shit, yeah. I already know what you getting at. That why I stay out of Baton Rouge streets. You know, when I’m in Louisiana I’ll be lowkey dipping. So I already know what you were getting at with that one there. I feel like they gonna pull me over, or put something in my car and have it be a set up.

Do you think Lil Boosie made a mistake staying in Baton Rouge. Has he given you any life/career advice?

I don’t know how to answer that “made a mistake” thing, because we all mistakes. So I don’t really know how to answer that, but he gave me a lot of knowledge as a youngster. As of now, you know, we are two grown men, so we have grown man conversations, but as a youngster coming up, yeah I learned a lot of shit from dude.

After coming of age with limited resources and rising above it, do you feel you owe the next generation anything

Oh nah, this is why I say I don’t feel like I owe the next generation anything, because just like I paid attention to my upcoming, they need to pay attention to me and learn from my mistakes. And also learn from my wrongdoing and capitalize from my right-doing, so no I don’t feel like I owe them nothing. I feel like I already gave them the game, and I’m still giving them the game, they just gotta pay for it. Na, na, na, na, Tha Verdict, go get that thing.

What’s the smartest thing you ever did?

Kept my motherfuckin’ mouth closed.

What do you think about life in the hip-hop industry? Is it what you expected?

Nah, man. I mean honestly, I don’t even feel like I’m even part of the hip-hop, you know, culture, industry, nothing like that, ‘cause I’m still trying to transition from there to the streets. I ain’t saying my mind is simple or that my mind is stuck in the prison, but I’ve still got institutional ways, you know what I’m saying? Project ways, you know what I’m saying? So, with that being said, I haven’t even made it to the hip-hop side.

Do you think young rappers are obligated to know about the history of the genre?

Like rap news and hip-hop news? Cause shit, man, you gotta think about all these n*ggas that’s trying rap now was born in 1999! Them n*ggas don’t even know who Tupac is, them n*ggas wasn’t alive when Tupac was hip! Know what i’m saying? None of these young-ass n*ggas know the words to Tupac or know the words to Biggie, you know what I’m saying? So you can’t feel a certain type of way about them dudes, cause them dudes ain’t really old enough to know the history, man. They doing what they see other people doing, you know what I’m saying? They really doing what they see other people doing, so, man, I don’t think so! Them n*ggas need to know who Cain is though.

What’s your biggest fear?

I’ve got two fears, two things I’m scared of, man, I’m terrified. I fear God. And I ain’t trying to go to the Feds, my n*gga. Fuck that. I fear the feds. Those bitches cold! I’m scared of those bitches. So when y’all go to the feds, Cain was scared, he ain’t fuckin with the bitches, he ain’t goin to the bitches, he ain’t got nothing to say to the bitches. Them bitches gonna find me in the hole with a beard!

What’s something everybody should do in their life at least once?

Shoot a n*gga ass! No for real, I’m talking about for real. N*ggas be out they body. A man shouldn’t worry about another man, you know what I’m saying? I ain’t saying kill em’, and I know attempted murder is a fucked up, is a felony to some of y’all don’t wanna do, but shit. Do it in a swift move and a swift kick, knock fire from a n*gga’s ass, you heard me? Just one time, they gonna get they mind right, I’m telling ya!

What’s the rest of 2017 looking like for Mista Cain?

Work, man, work. I know it’s the first quarter, I’m turnt up, I’m all over the media, you know what I’m saying? I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, but I’m trying to work, man, I’m trying to actually transition into the Hip-Hop scene, you know what I’m saying? I’ve done everything under the sun, I have no points to prove, just money to be made. I’m looking for me a plaque this year, you know, I want me a gold or a platinum record, you know what I’m saying? I’ve got ‘Making Love,’ I’m trying to transition, man. Especially for the women and for the people that’s not paying attention, so that’s what I’m focused on, man. So you gonna get a lot of work from me this year.