A.Dd+'s Paris Pershun Says Break Up Was "A While in the Making"

What's going on with A.Dd+? According to Paris Pershun, one half of the popular Dallas rap duo, "Everything" — and not in a good way.

After dominating the North Texas scene for years, the Nawf Dallas duo is calling it quits — at least according to Pershun. The other half of the duo, Slim Gravy, won't talk about it; neither will their manager, Vince Chapa. While Pershun has been in touch with Chapa, he claims that he hasn't even talked to Gravy since they last performed together before Thanksgiving. In the meantime, their apparent band issues have spilled over in a very public Twitter feud.

On Saturday, Say Cheese TV (referring to A.Dd+ as a "reportedly popular Dallas rap duo") first reported that Gravy had blocked Pershun on all social media platforms and won't answer Pershun's calls. (Pershun, in a conversation over the phone with the Observer, claims that he wasn't aware Slim had blocked him on Twitter until the "bitch" and "liar" tweet.) Later that day, Pershun told Central Track via text message, "It's a wrap," saying that the break up is "100 percent" complete because of what writer Pete Freedman called "personal issues as well as professional ones."

"The shit that happened this week don't mean a motherfucking thing. That didn't make it any different than what it already was," Pershun now tells the Observer. "I'm not on like a slander campaign or no shit like that. I understand people want to get the story and get what's going on and all that shit," he adds. "I don't want to come out and make it seem like I'm bitter or I'm jealous or mad.

"Honestly," he adds, "none of this shit anybody's writing is facts. They've just been speculating."

Still, Pershun makes it clear that the split has been "a while in the making," insisting, "If any motherfucker tell you that this shit started this week, they're a goddamn liar." While repeatedly saying he doesn't want to talk about it, he did note, "The fucking group is up. It's a wrap. And people want to act surprised, but motherfuckers saw this shit coming. People were already speculating that we weren't a group for the past year and a half."

Hahaha yeah i guess so RT @uhitsveronica: so... i guess A.Dd+ is over now? @ParisPershun

— Aint no A.Dd+ bihh!! (@ParisPershun) January 7, 2016

But starting last week, the tensions became much more visible. Pershun has thrown shots towards Gravy on Twitter, which Gravy hasn't directly addressed, resorting instead to subtweeting things like, "Boys don't wanna see me shine. I will shine reguardless [sic] cause I'm good like that." To that, Pershun replied "That aint got shit to do with it" and "What people think about me is none of my business."

Pershun doesn't buy into Gravy's recent positivity, tweeting that Gravy is "tryna deflect with this pseudo positivity bullshit like he aint in the wrong" and that Slim is acting "like some bothered female (no offense to females)" who's tweeting "this fake positive shit." At one of his two solo sets last week in Austin, I asked Gravy about Pershun's tweets, and he just laughed it off.

So why discuss these things on Twitter of all places? According to Pershun, "We tweeting cause you wont pick up the phone.. Broad shit." He has even changed his Twitter name to "Aint no A.Dd+ bihh!!" He added, "I just figured he could be man enough to have a convo regardless instead of doin the coward ass shit the way he doin it."

Cus u handled it like a bitch and a liar RT @gravySLIM: None of the people I look for validity in openly support my moves as a solo artist.

— Aint no A.Dd+ bihh!! (@ParisPershun) January 6, 2016

Later on, Pershun also tweeted: "Again I aint mad. Do whateva you feel. Its bigger than the rap shit. We wasnt 2 niggas that only rapped together. But whateva...," referring to the fact that the two have grown up together.

When pressed for comment, Gravy said via text message, "It doesn't matter. Shit happens and things change. It's life, keep it movin. Pay me if you want my side of it." (While offering multiple times to let Gravy tell his side of the story for free, we declined to pay him for it.)

For almost a year now, Gravy has been doing more solo work, with his new GHETTODSKO and Scatterbrained projects, in addition to performing shows on his own. Back in 2015, he moved to Austin — a move which caught Pershun by surprise: "You look up and see a nigga you been knowing since you was 13 years old moved around [without] you having any idea why." Pershun also says that "up to this point i still havent gotten an explanation as to why he made the move so abruptly."

Im pissed cause i found out about the shit #onhere (lookinass) .. We didn't speak about shit. No heads up was given. No warning. Nothing.

— Aint no A.Dd+ bihh!! (@ParisPershun) January 7, 2016

The apparent breakup has saddened a lot of DFW hip-hop fans. Joel Salazar, a local hip-hop promoter, says the break up "is a very unfortunate situation for the North Texas music scene." In recent years, A.Dd+ has "been one of, if not the best live act in town," Salazar notes. "It was clear that wherever they were going to perform, they were going to be the highlight of an event with the amount of energy and entertainment value they would bring to the stage."

Blue, the Misfit was also sad to hear about the break up, tweeting:

I believe in both @ParisPershun & @gravySLIM. Those are my dogs, and they're a huge part of why Dallas has an alternative hip-hop scene.

— Blue, The Misfit (@BlueTheMisfit) January 10, 2016

I know what it's like to break up from a duo, shit sucks... You have to hit the reset button and re-establish yourself as an individual.

— Blue, The Misfit (@BlueTheMisfit) January 10, 2016

As noted in the Central Track story, the duo has been working on a new album, which was supposed to be released this spring. At this point, it's unclear whether those plans will change, and when asked about what will become of the music, Paris said, "I don't know."

UPDATE: Early Monday morning, A.Dd+ issued the following joint statement on the reported break up:

We have all seen this movie many times. Groups go through ups and downs. Arguments, fights, even break ups are to be expected when two creative and passionate people create and build something as special as A.Dd+. This isn't the first time Slim and Paris have "broken up." Long-lingering personal issues are to blame.

As a company, we still represent A.Dd+ and leave the door open for when wounds are healed. We have an incredible new A.Dd+ project entitled NAWF AMERICA and fully intend on releasing it to their fans very soon.