1. What’s your earliest memory of Hip Hop and when did you know it was something you wanted to do?

I’ve always kind of known hip hop was there, and I listened to the party songs and the radio joints in grade school, stuff like that. But I didn’t actually start getting into hip hop in its truest form until about 7 years ago— so like my freshman year in high school. I heard “The World is Yours” by Nas and “Iron Galaxy” by Cannibal Ox on the “Tony Hawk’s Underground” playlist. I loved the sounds so much that I did my research and read every single thing on hip hop I could get my hands on. I basically had to go backwards in time though—Can Ox and those Def Jukie cats (r.i.p, lol) were relatively new-age hip hop by then. My only regret is that my parents didn’t birth me so I could experience hip hop as it was between 1990 and 2000, but then again that isn’t really my fault to regret, is it? Haha. In terms of making the music though, I didn’t start making beats until about a year and a half later, when I realized that I made a far greater connection to the way hip hop tracks were designed. A lot of beathsmith and DJ cats will give you the most typical answer heard in producer interviews…stuff like, “man I used to dig through my mama’s records and play em’ on the turntables, then I started makin beats from those records”….naw man. I didn’t have it like that at all. My ma dukes didn’t let me NEAR them damn records, and when she knew that I started making beats she used to say “you better not come near my records”. To play my own records, the ones I bought, I had to steal the turntable from our house because “nobody was using it, but I still couldn’t have it”. No one even realized it was missing.

Listening to the layout work of my favorite producers—cats like, Premo, Extra P, Madlib, Buckwild, Mr. Len, Dre…all those guys have defining characteristics that allow you to know who is on the beat without asking; the Premo cuts, Extra P innovating the EQ’d sample for “poor mans bass”, or Buckwild snares, for instance—I strive to make my own signature. It takes time though.

2. How did you come to be working with the artists on your mixtapes? Are these people you have known for a while in the real world or do we have the internet to thank?

On “T-Roy’s Deli” it ended up being a mixture. Chi ILL, Von and RobK are all cats I know from back home. Mos, Limbs, Rice and I2K are cats I met through the Urbana Champaign Hip Hop Congress. I’ve done more than a few tracks with Mos—many of my better tracks—he’s kind of played his part in mentoring me through hip hop scholarship and learning, along with DJ Limbs. Other guys like Savant, B!G J, Sense and Defcee are guys I have not met in person—all internet. Which is crazy, because I talk with them on what is damn near a daily basis, Savant especially. They were all cats I heard through online networking, realized they were relatively close to home, and wanted them included in my music endeavors. Deli was basically a wishlist for me. I decided to go out of my comfort zone and make a compilation with a lot of emcees that I had never worked with before; they were also all of the emcees that I wanted to work with most. I’m entirely against posting music on Internet sites like Soundclick because I need to be around and I need to be informed when tracks are being recorded. I don’t like the idea that some dude a million miles away who rhymes booty may be spitting hot whacks over a track I did. For this mixtape, even though I wasn’t there for most of the sessions, I was keeping in close contact with the emcees through aim, Gmail, etc. So, it is very accurate to say that, without the Internet, my work would not be possible.

3. How has T-Roy’s Deli been received so far? Has it opened many new doors for you?

It’s been great. Sometimes the reception has been a little too nice, because no one has openly shown a dislike or nonchalance for it. I guess a lot of that has to do with the fact that most of my friends grabbed it— but lately I’ve been pushing it further and further out of the network. I really look for criticisms in my work because I take them pretty well (just be ready to defend those criticisms and hear my reasoning!). One newbie mistake I made was putting the mixtape on Zshare, because Zshare no longer tells you the download number. So I really have no idea how many people have downloaded the mixtape. But because it does show you the last time a download was made, I have somewhat of an idea given that at least one download has been made every day since I put it out on new year’s day. As for opening doors, it has done that too. In hip hop on this level, artists that you intend to collab with usually have to check your past work to determine their interest since most cats are only so well known. For me, Deli has worked as an addition to my hip hop résumé, and that’s what the game is all about right? In battles, lyrics, etc., cats talk shit about dudes with no experience or work put in. Deli has also been great because, as my first major collaboration project, I’ve learned which emcees to NOT work with, and what kind of laws and standards I need to lay down. I explain that on an interlude in the mixtape though, no need to get into all that now!

4. Who are the biggest supporters of your music?

The people I work with most. Who are few. Carlos aka DJ Epilep[c] is my homie in crime, and if I ever make it to the place I want to be I’m sure I will call him to be a part of it. My boy SeanG is mean on the engineering tip, and although we try and out-do eachother on the beats, even if mine is doper, 9 times out of 10 his will at least sound better. SeanG and my other close friend, Greg Frazier, are two guys who make beats and know the music notation just as well, and over the years, mixing my tracks has become my favorite part of doing a beat. They had an influence on me in terms of learning and experimenting with sound. Too many cats out there throw their loops in or whatever, record on the mic or whatever, and don’t put enough time into getting the right mix. But basically, the biggest supporters are the ones I grew in this hip hop culture with. There isn’t much hip hop in my family; my parents don’t really listen to hip hop outside of what they’ve heard me playing, I certainly didn’t grow up with it, and my younger brother likes to do his own thing with the type of rap he nods to. I like to think I have other supporters that I haven’t heard from as well.

5. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Living in my apartment, waking up to go to work every day, then coming home to make food and beats. Then repeat. Ha, but for real though, I plan on being in Chicago, building up the place I stay at to be the beat mansion escape for bboys and bgirls, spliff rollers, writers, head-wrap ass cats, and all the other home elements I’ve dreamed into existence here and there. Mainly on the music tip though, I just hope I get the recognition. I don’t care about getting money in this culture. I’ve given away many more beats than I’ve sold, and I have yet to do a for-profit project. Hip hop didn’t start as a business. But it did start as a way to build rep, and I hope to have that by then.

6. What do you think of the Hip Hop coming out of Chicago at the moment? How does it compare to what’s going on elsewhere in the US?

In terms of what I’ve actually seen, I haven’t really been around enough places to give a definitive answer to that question. When I have enough dough, I plan on making a hip hop pilgrimage across the U.S, and then out to Japan and Europe. But from what I know, have heard, and am familiar with, Chicago hip hop culture has to be found. Lately it seems that Chicago is breeding a lot of the hipster rap genre; so I feel “whatever” about it. The emcees, DJs, and producers that I wholeheartedly respect and support are the cats that have been doing it for years…Molemen crew, G4, those people. However, I will say that a lot of the emcees I work with (especially our own Savant here in NRS) are definitely on their way up, and I fully support dudes on their way up. I feel that if anybody that I work with makes it, that may make things vicariously better for me one way or the other. My mission is definitely to breed a hip hop sound reminiscent of the days when it was so pure in this town—the Vakill, Toung Twista, DJ PNS Chicago Rocks, EC Illa days…back when my city was grimy. I’m 100% all about that sound, and I want cats who want to get on board with me. I want Chicago to go through the type of true-hip hop explosion that Detroit is going through now, for instance.

7. Have you listened to much international Hip Hop? What are your thoughts on Hip Hop as a global phenomenon?

Hip hop is everywhere, and I’ve been talking more about that this week with the unfortunate passing of Japanese producer Nujabes. Like, his passing was heartfelt to cats thousands of miles away, and that’s real. I went to a Dizzee Rascal show a few years back when he first got signed to Def Jux—that was the first time I had seen an international emcee at a underground type place at the Abby Pub in Chicago. I’ve noticed that many tend to judge international emcees, but never really notice when a beat maker is international, and that’s just kind of a clue that people connect more through music than with words. I’ve been a big fan of French beat extraordinaire 20syl. Can’t forget about Nicholay from Foreign Exchange. But like I said, when it comes to hip hop music, I’m all about the design. I know about emcees and who they are and what not, but I’m always keeping tabs on beat makers from around the world.

8. How do you view the future of the genre? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Very optimistic. And I don’t even want to spend much time on this question, to be honest. Hip hop is not dead and the only people who say it is are those who don’t know much about the culture to begin with, and/or, heard other people say it. Nas named his album “Hip Hop is Dead” and got nominated for a Grammy. The discussion is very popular and is forever fueled by hip hop heads who can’t help but argue about whether it’s alive or dead. Nas doesn’t believe hip hop is dead. If he did he would quit. He made a shitload of money with that title and gave blogs worldwide one more trite topic to discuss. Right now, the situation is this: the emcees and producers who are getting the biggest record deals, selling the most ring tones and getting the most YouTube plays are said to be a departure from the way hip hop music is supposed to sound. I say, let ‘em do what they do. Like I mentioned before, hip hop didn’t start as a business, and as long as there are cats on the grind doing it correct, hip hop music is here to stay.

9. Is there someone in particular, either producer or emcee or deejay, that you think is taking Hip Hop where it needs to go?

Without a doubt in mind, Jay Electronica springs immediately to thought. He is the Barack Obama of hip hop, the savior on the mainstream. If I could channel all good vibes, good wishes or positive energy directly to him to play a part in propelling his success, I would. He represents the drive, the mental, the taste in production, and most importantly, the knowledge, that hip hop music NEEDS to have right now on the mainstream level. I’ve said many times before that I believe that his debut album will be one of the greatest of all time. People may call me naïve or say, “yeah, don’t believe the hype”, but, as the person who would normally be saying “don’t believe the hype”, I feel that this time it’s for real.

10. If you could only take one album to listen to on a 6 hour drive, what would it be?

Last question has to be the hardest question, right? I have to say that it is between Nas’ debut album Illmatic and Madlib’s debut as Quasimoto, The Unseen. You could give either one to me for 6 hours and I’d be straight. Both emcees bring lyrics that I could analyze all day, let alone 6 hours. But mainly, these albums are my top choices for production—they are masterpieces. People know their favorite albums, favorite tracks, word for word. For both of these albums, I only know the lyrics by heart because I’ve listened through to the beats so many times. I know every single drum pattern, sequence variation, filter, hi hat, scratch, sample, etc…every single one, for both albums! I could talk about each track for 6 hours, so if I had either one of those two albums I’d need to go on a cross country drive. Don’t get me started now either, because my answers to these Q&A’s are already long enough!