Gabrielle CanonSee also Big Pimpin': Pimp cups have real players and white kids alike dropping cash
In this week's cover story, we trace the colorful history of hip hop's most interesting accessory, the pimp cup. These bedazzled chalices, popularized by Snoop Dogg and Lil Jon, are actually prayed over by a church-going Chicago lady named Debbie the Glass Lady.
At the center of the story is pimp-turned-preacher Bishop Don “Magic” Juan — who has some two dozen children, and once had a stable of 11 women. We chatted with Bishop, his “spiritual advisor” Snoop Dogg, and Debbie about the cups; here are the best clips that didn't make the story.
On his friendship with Snoop:
Bishop: “Like I said, it's been something like 12 years now, and me and Snoop been together almost every week … It become a real tight bond … It's an amazing relationship and we friends above business. Snoop don't have to call me everyday for me to know I am his main man. I don't have to call him. Our friendship is already something made in heaven. We just have to enjoy it together.”
On his conversion to Christianity after a decade of pimping
Bishop: “It was something like, they figured it was like Paul's testimony ya know, like persecuting the church and then really gung ho for the church. So, a lot of people didn't believe. Some did believe though but that wasn't my concern. My concern was just to get my life right and that's what God wanted.”
On helping others (including Snoop Dogg) find faith:
Bishop: “This is the thing about it. You can take my word to the bank kind of thing. When God showed me a vision, I told them it's going down. What's going down here, with the words that I created like Chuuuch. Preach. Tabernacle. It's the only way we gonna get any action. So them words are spiritual words. Ya know what I mean? You can get no hardcore dope dealer, or no pimp, or nobody up there in high places, no movie stars, to say everyday 'God Bless you'.”
On the role the cups play for pimps and players:
Bishop: “The cup is part of the criteria of the pimp and the players. This is mandatory. The first thing, if you become a pimp or player, the first thing you want to acquire is a beautiful girl, you wanna know how to get money, you wanna fancy car, you want jewelry, you want sharp clothes. You definitely want a 'Debbie the glass lady' glass.”
On how to join the Famous Players Club:
Bishop: “I get to know you, and you down in your game and say things I like, and me bein' the chairman of the board and I got the right to present you with a card. There are applications too and they fill out applications.”
On giving glasses to non-player celebrities:
Snoop: “Now we do make exceptions. We do — as playas — we can crown someone we feel is worthy with a glass. Like I made a glass for Jimmy Fallon, for Jay Leno, ya know a few of my prestigious friends. I made a few glasses for a few people who have never been in the playa world but to me they famous playas so I crowned them with a glass.”
On Snoop's first pimp cup:
Debbie: “Bishop told me, this glass is going to be very, very important for Snoop Dogg. And I said 'whatever' because at that time I wasn't into hip hop. But Bishop said, 'Debbie, you done misspelled Snoop's name!' and I said, 'What did I do?' and he said, 'You spelled it Dog and it is Dogg' and I said, 'Dog is dog! Get outta here!' Boy little did I know what would happen behind that cup.”
On Lil Jon's first pimp cup:
Debbie: “He was a little guy but he wanted that cup to say Lil Jon. Straight in the face so every time you saw him he would have that cup in his hand and he would put it straight in their face. Lil Jon — king of crunk. And that is when one of my particular glasses got so famous. They were called the crunk cups because Lil Jon never put it down. At one time he used it everywhere he went.”
On why the pimp lifestyle is popular in hip-hop:
Debbie: “These guys talk a lot of big stuff and they pimpin' this and they pimpin' that, but ya know what, a lot of them are scared little boys. They just want to be what they see others do and what they see in the movies. Just like little girls want to grow up and be Cinderella, these little guys want to grow up and be Cinderfella.”
On being the mother of the “chuuch”:
Debbie: “I call most of these guys my babies. Just like I have adopted about 50 young men. 50-100 young men call me mama.That's why they call me the mother of the chuuch because I pray over their glasses. When they come and pick them up the first thing they look for is my signature. And they always ask me, 'Please mama, pray over my glass.' Some of these people who don't have anyone to talk to turn to me.”
On how she will go down in history:
Debbie: “I am going to be the Martha Stewart of hip hop.”
On Bishop's pet squirrel “Chuuch”:
Snoop: “The squirrel come in the house now. He done got a relationship with the Bishop where he know how to knock on the door, come in the house, grab him some nuts, then go on back outside and hide them nuts. I also witnessed the other one that was hatin' on him that always used to try to take his stuff, and he got hit by a car. Didn't know how to move like Chuuch!”
On how Bishop is managing his health after recently being hospitalized:
Bishop: “Got me on some red wine, dropped down my whole milk to 2%, left the Land O' Lakes and went to Smart Balance, ya dig?”
Snoop (to Bishop): “Stop givin' all those squirrels all your peanuts and start eatin' some of them yourself.”
Final words of wisdom:
Snoop: “Keep your pimp foot forward and let the other one come behind.”
See also Big Pimpin': Pimp cups have real players and white kids alike dropping cash
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