When we called Kia Shine and waited for him to answer his cell phone, Kia's dirty south rap ringtone entertained us until he finally picked up his phone and said, "Hello, this is Kia...who is this?" He told Yo! Raps that he was leaving Bible Study in his Rover Truck.

Kia Shine is the man of the hour right now. He is one of the top trending topics on Twitter, and in the last couple of weeks, a large number of people have been talking about the alleged Kia Shine versus Drake controversy even though there are certainly more pressing issues facing the American public right now.

In this interview Kia Shine explains how he does in fact own 25% of Drake's Best I Ever Had song which is currently topping the Billboard charts. In fact, Kia Shine claims that he is already set to receive royalties for his contribution to Drake's hit song. This controversy arose in the blogosphere and on Twitter when Drake responded to Kia's claim of ownership by saying that Kia's "claims of 25% ownership are false." Now you'll get to hear Kia's side of the story.

Hey Kia, what's up?

Hey, you ready to do this!?

Yes, I'm ready to do this. Has this whole controversy been resolved yet? I'm hearing a lot of stuff in the news and I haven't been able to get a definitive answer on that...

The matter was really already resolved in July. But the thing about this situation that is so peculiar to me is that this is something I knew about since January and something that has been going on since then. The arrangement and the agreement had been met in July. That's why I was already in the system to receive the BMI Award - we had already worked this out. It wasn't until I got my BMI Award and someone did an interview with me - just like we're doing right now.

They interviewed me, and they took a clip of me saying that I have a co-writer share in the Drake record, and they used that clip in the intro to their show. And then, that was it. Someone aired that interview, and literally the blogs started to go out saying, "Is Kia Shine Drake's ghostwriter?" And it really just showed me how uninformed and unaware people are about music publishing and the music business because there is more than one way to be a writer on a person's record other than just writing the record in the studio. I produced the original record that inspired the Best I Ever Had - it was a record that I did for Lil Wayne called Do It For The Boy which was on his 2008 release called The Leak. The record got out - it started playing on the radio, and it was clear that they used this record as the model for The Best I Ever Had. Some of the same words were used, the same cadences, the same melodies, and all of that so because I am the producer of that original record - when my work was sampled - that's why I am listed on Drake's record Best I Ever Had as a songwriter.

And since people didn't show my whole interview, the bloggers went out and said, "Kia Shine versus Drake" and "Kia Shine is Drake's ghostwriter" when this is really not the situation. Drake is a talented dude and I like his music. I feel blessed that Lil Wayne as well as Drake have given me a co-sign and approved of the music which I have made. It just inspires me. And I think the big deal about it is that the public as a whole is misinformed - they thought Kia Shine is one dimensional. They didn't know Kia Shine was a producer, they didn't know Kia Shine was such a business man and had knowledge about publishing. My wife has a publishing deal and I have a publishing deal.

Since 2001, I've been well-versed in this industry. I've had my own distribution deal...I was the first person to sign Yo Gotti...I was the person to sell Drumma Boy's beats to a major label back in 2001 and 2002 when we had production deals with Ruff Ryders. I've sold beats to T.I. - it didn't make the album, but they know that I'm a producer - that I've sold beats to Juvenile. And of course, I've got the beat that was played for Lil Wayne. I am a producer, first and foremost, and a lot of people - they wasn't informed of that. So they think Kia Shine is just this flashy guy who comes up with these swag songs like Krispy and Checkin My Fresh...but they don't really know the business of who Kia Shine is. That's why everyone was like, "I can't believe this guy wrote this song!" But I've produced and done a lot of other things for people, so this is nothing rare for Kia Shine. But people really need to be informed about who I am now. And hopefully through this situation, people will begin to see me for who I really am and not just a rapper. I'm far from just that...you understand what I'm saying?

You're Kia Shine! Kia, do you always refer to yourself in the third person [laughs].

I mean, it's not like I'm talking about myself in the third person. To me, it's just like - Kia Shine is a business man. Kia shine is an artist.

Oh ok.

You know, Kia Shine is a producer. Kia Shine is not just a rapper, you know what I mean...I'm not just one dimensional, there are several sides of who I am.

Kia, I know you said you settled for owning 25% of Best I Ever Had. Have you started receiving royalty checks yet?

Well, I'll say this...me talking about my finances in this interview, I'm not really at liberty to do that. I'll just say that it takes about nine months for a song to start paying out royalties..so we are looking at royalties to start coming out this last quarter of the year, and the first quarter of next year. So I caught this at a great time. I'm locked in for my percentage and yes, I got companies such as Universal Music Publishing that are there to see that I get paid. So my business is in order and everything's in order for me to receive what I'm supposed to receive. As far as checks or whatever, just know that to me and my family this is a blessed situation. And I'll just leave it at that. Whether I receive a check or not, I would just like that to be between me and my family.

That's fine. Kia, I know you say you get 25% ownership of Drake's Best I Ever Had, but in your personal opinion, what percent ownership would you say you deserve based on your respective contributions?

Basically...I think that it's fair. To have not gotten anything would have been wack, but to do this at 25% - I think it's a good look. I mean, I'm not trying to be a bully of sorts. I just wanna get what's mine. I'm not trying to take anything away from Drake - he deserves publishing on the record - he put together a great record. Drake did a great job of recreating what was there. And my percentage of it - I'm fine with that. I'm not looking for this one record to make me rich. It definitely puts me and my family in a great place, but at the same time - Kia Shine has always been self sufficient. And I'm not looking for one situation to make me rich. I'm just looking for what's due to me, and I'm gonna be happy with that. As long as I'm being acknowledged for something that I created, then that's fine with me. Drake's single is already platinum. For me to receive my plaque and receive my credit - that's a lot.

It's a big honor! Kia, I also wanted to know how you feel about Drake calling you a liar?

I'm gonna be honest with you man, I did not like the fact that Drake said that. And I didn't like the fact that it was written about me. But I did not hear Drake say that out of his own mouth. I'm gonna give him a pass for that because it's public knowledge...my name is right there underneath the record. I didn't make up the BMI Awards - I got three of them - I was right there. My lawyers already did their due diligence so my thing - it's a real thing - and I just feel like he was misinformed. You know, people fail due to lack of knowledge. I'm a business man first and foremost...

Ok...

So I'm not gonna tear down someone for making that mistake. It is what it is. Would I have liked the person who gives a statement for Drake to give a better statement - Yes! And hopefully now that this is public knowledge, he will come back and apologize for that statement. And at the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta coming up - I'll see him there. Hopefully, Drake will tell me something different. But my thing is that I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'm an underdog in this whole situation, and for Drake to put that out there - it was hurtful. But to me, he kinda put his foot in his mouth a little bit because at the end of the day...the splits are what they are. And it's always in good taste for me to keep something that puts food on my family's table, and it's always in good taste for me to let people know how good God is, and there's always a part of me that wants to educate and inspire people. I think this situation will educate and inspire producers to help people get their business together on the front end.

I know you talk about feeding your kids and family. I read that Drake grew up in a rich neighborhood and currently has no kids to support - does this affect how you feel about this entire controversy and the conflict over the money?  Your situation versus his situation...

I mean, to me what this controversy has done is it has opened up people's eyes to who Kia Shine is, and all that I'm able to do. I've got a lot of calls from people who wanna work with me.

That's great!

Yeah, that's a great thing for my family. And I think that all publicity is good publicity...so I think it's a good thing. I know that Drake's father is from Memphis and Drake's father made a statement about working with me and Yo Gotti...so whatever Drake's personal situation is, it is Drake's personal situation. I don't really care about that. Hopefully he is blessed and his family is blessed...my only concern is for my own family...that's what God put me here to do. I was put here to take care of my family and to provide for them. It's a music business - it's the business of music. So I don't wanna make this a Drake versus Kia Shine thing because I don't know Drake like that and I don't know him, so I can't judge him. But right now, I'm just excited that people know this side of me. If Lil Wayne, the hottest rapper in the game right now, rapped on my tracks - then maybe you should too!

Kia, I saw the footage of Three 6 Mafia allegedly dissing you in public; however I couldn't really make out what they were saying. If they were in fact criticizing you, how does this sort of criticism make you feel?

I have tough skin, this business makes you have real thick skin. These guys are from my city and I was only coming there to congratulate them on their album, not to hate on them. I just wanted to show them support and have us support each other because that's what Memphis is lacking. For them to try to clown me on the camera - that's just childish to me and it just lets me know that I'm an underdog in this whole thing. And for some reason or another, people wanna doubt me. I'm underrated and over hated. I just try to look the other way and turn the other cheek. But sometimes in difficult, you know what I'm saying? I don't like it of course - it doesn't make me feel good when I'm trying to do something positive and then someone puts a negative spin on it. I pray for those dudes and I try to keep it moving because I can't lose focus.

I really love your positivity and I am really excited to hear all of your projects in the future. Can you tell us about some of the projects you're currently working on?

Yes. I signed a new group out of East Memphis called The P.R.E.P.S which stands for Paid, Respected Eastsidaz Promoting Swagg...these guys are some young guys and they're gonna be featured in Ozone Magazine next month. These guys already have their video on TV right now, featuring me...they're the leaders of the new Memphis. I've always tried to help out others, and I'm just trying to reciprocate what was done for me.  And of course - Kia Shine - because I was the number one trending topic on Twitter.

I heard that!

Everybody wants to talk about what Kia Shine wrote so you can check out my new mixtape, Kia Shine Wrote It and you can see what Kia Shine is writing and what I'm working on. There's a new single called Underdog that I will email to you.

Great, I wanna hear it.

It's an anthem record for those who can relate to being an underdog. Being doubted for whatever reason and just going against the grain in terms of what you believe in. Those are my movements. The mixtape will feature this record called See Me For Who I Am - it's a crazy crazy record. I'm really excited about the Kia Shine mixtape. And then after that, I have an album that's gonna come out called The Alarm Clock Theory. The reason why I call it that is because everyone who is sleeping on me will end up working for me...

[Laughs]

If you snooze on me, then you will lose homie. You feel me!

[Louder Laugh]. Okay Kia, I know what your saying. This is my last question...I know you said you were coming home from Bible Study. If you could have only one prayer granted this year - what would it be?

[Long Pause] One prayer granted man. You know what. [Pause] It would be to have God's wisdom. Because if I've got God's wisdom, then I'll be able to do anything. I'll be able to get the money. You know what I'm saying. If I have the wisdom and favor of God, then I can do the rest from there.

Well Kia, I'm wishing you light, truth, and positivity for your future and I know you will have it.

- By Jackie Shaprow