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Interview and Images by Tonyela Arphul
Trends come and go but we all know hip hop is here to stay. With all the controversy over whats real
hip hop and whats not, somewhere in the Southwest rappers are waiting to even get their voice heard.
Dom Deleon of Gnacboys has taken it upon himself to unravel the truth. Hip hop is strongly appreciated
by many individuals in Tucson, so why is it that the spotlight remains impossible?
Born in San Francisco, Deleon has finally come to terms with the state of hip hop and what needs to be
done. After joining the military he made his venture to the streets of the Tuc only to find the best and
worst about his love for hip hop in an apparently hip hop starved city.
hip hop and whats not, somewhere in the Southwest rappers are waiting to even get their voice heard.
Dom Deleon of Gnacboys has taken it upon himself to unravel the truth. Hip hop is strongly appreciated
by many individuals in Tucson, so why is it that the spotlight remains impossible?
Born in San Francisco, Deleon has finally come to terms with the state of hip hop and what needs to be
done. After joining the military he made his venture to the streets of the Tuc only to find the best and
worst about his love for hip hop in an apparently hip hop starved city.
How has moving to Tucson from Cali affected your music?
Well the biggest impact is I'm not messing with the trend, I don't talk about all the hyphy stuff anymore. I
actually left the Bay Area before the hyphy movement kicked off. You know we listened to E-40, Mac Dre
before all the Thizz Nation and everything but it was more like Mac Mall, JT the Bigga Figga, Game
Recognize Game, shit like that. Cali has always been about their money but the hyphy movement....just
as soon as it hit the scene, it kind of dissolved. Even when I go back its dying out there, I mean cats are
still going hyphy but it ain't that mainstream line anymore. Me being out in Tucson has made me adapt a
little bit more to my surroundings. Being with the group GnacBoys you got cats from the South, from
East Coast, and then I'm just representin' for the West coast. So we just kind of collectively accredit our
own type of style.
Growing up what made you decide to do hip hop?
I was always a poet. I did a lot of poetry slams in Berkeley. I won a couple and lost to a lot of good poets
who had more wordplay than me. So poetry, all it is is rhyming and wordplay and I had a lot of friends
who were into making beats, they had drum machines and such. So I kind of just applied it to that.
There's all kinds of hip hop but the wordplay is fascinating. To be able to make money off of setting a
trend or being known to just kill a verse or make a hit, thats what draws you to [hip hop]. Some people
get into rap for the wrong reasons but you get into hip hop because you have a love for it.
Well the biggest impact is I'm not messing with the trend, I don't talk about all the hyphy stuff anymore. I
actually left the Bay Area before the hyphy movement kicked off. You know we listened to E-40, Mac Dre
before all the Thizz Nation and everything but it was more like Mac Mall, JT the Bigga Figga, Game
Recognize Game, shit like that. Cali has always been about their money but the hyphy movement....just
as soon as it hit the scene, it kind of dissolved. Even when I go back its dying out there, I mean cats are
still going hyphy but it ain't that mainstream line anymore. Me being out in Tucson has made me adapt a
little bit more to my surroundings. Being with the group GnacBoys you got cats from the South, from
East Coast, and then I'm just representin' for the West coast. So we just kind of collectively accredit our
own type of style.
Growing up what made you decide to do hip hop?
I was always a poet. I did a lot of poetry slams in Berkeley. I won a couple and lost to a lot of good poets
who had more wordplay than me. So poetry, all it is is rhyming and wordplay and I had a lot of friends
who were into making beats, they had drum machines and such. So I kind of just applied it to that.
There's all kinds of hip hop but the wordplay is fascinating. To be able to make money off of setting a
trend or being known to just kill a verse or make a hit, thats what draws you to [hip hop]. Some people
get into rap for the wrong reasons but you get into hip hop because you have a love for it.
How do you feel about the essence of hip hop today?
Its watered down now but I'm not gonna lie its gone through evolution. You can say its watered down, I
mean there's not a lot of music out there that hasn't been done. I mean even GnacBoys you can say our
sound is like...I don't know we are like ghetto gumbo. We are a mesh of everything. But you do have
some rappers who are bringing it back. Lil Weezy is one. He's murdering everything he touches.
Common, Kanye, etc.
Hip hop coincidentally landed him in the same room with three other guys that, today, call themselves
the Gnacboys (pronounced Nyak-Boys). With combined lyrical talent and an eclectic background
between the four, it only seemed like a match made in heaven.
You are one of the four GnacBoys. How did you guys get together?
When I came to Tucson I came from the military. I joined the Air Force when I was in the Bay, and I left in
2002. We all met through friends and family in the military. Rodney (Cezanne) was staying in the same
barracks as me and he would always kick down the door and just start battling me. This other guy name
Cielle, who was a singer, put me on to Tony Fair (Tone Baby) and Delonte Riggins (Dirty Rap). So we
were all just put together. Me and Cezanne we made a track called "You'll Know Who to Blame" and that
was within the first hour of us meeting each other, we just instantly meshed. Ever since then its been
matrimony.
So whats this about GnacBoys being signed to Slip N Slide Records?
Its watered down now but I'm not gonna lie its gone through evolution. You can say its watered down, I
mean there's not a lot of music out there that hasn't been done. I mean even GnacBoys you can say our
sound is like...I don't know we are like ghetto gumbo. We are a mesh of everything. But you do have
some rappers who are bringing it back. Lil Weezy is one. He's murdering everything he touches.
Common, Kanye, etc.
Hip hop coincidentally landed him in the same room with three other guys that, today, call themselves
the Gnacboys (pronounced Nyak-Boys). With combined lyrical talent and an eclectic background
between the four, it only seemed like a match made in heaven.
You are one of the four GnacBoys. How did you guys get together?
When I came to Tucson I came from the military. I joined the Air Force when I was in the Bay, and I left in
2002. We all met through friends and family in the military. Rodney (Cezanne) was staying in the same
barracks as me and he would always kick down the door and just start battling me. This other guy name
Cielle, who was a singer, put me on to Tony Fair (Tone Baby) and Delonte Riggins (Dirty Rap). So we
were all just put together. Me and Cezanne we made a track called "You'll Know Who to Blame" and that
was within the first hour of us meeting each other, we just instantly meshed. Ever since then its been
matrimony.
So whats this about GnacBoys being signed to Slip N Slide Records?
We're working on it. We gotta pass through some protocol, they gotta see how we are accepted. Basically its all in limbo right now. We've had other deals that
have dissolved and werent worth our time. Right now we are all kind of split up. One our main components, Dirty Rap, is in Carolina right now and he's our
engineer. But he's coming back in about a month or so to Phoenix. Cezanne and I will be here in Tucson, so that way we can kind of strategically take over this
area.
GnacBoys have done a lot of shows with big name artists. Name a few and tell us how the experience was.
Stage presence is everything. I mean you can go into the studio and make a tight ass hit but performance has a lot of factors to it. Obviously persona,
swagger, style, and you have to paint a picture with the song. We opened for Clipse, Pitbull, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, Mack 10, Too Short, I can't think of who
else but The Clipse was a our first performance and we were bumping into each other on stage and all. It took us maybe about a few months to get it right. Its
been a good experience and I suggest to any rapper or rap group, you NEED to perform. Its one thing to make the music but if you have no image, no
swagger, and no stage presence then you don't have the complete package.
How did the last GnacBoys album 'Double Shot' get recorded?
That was all gutter recording, it was in the sweatbox. We did some outside recordings but Dirty Rap and Tone Baby went to the lab making beats and they
would basically pick a topic or me and Cezanne would pick one. And they would just come up with what it should sound like and create it then we would all just
sit down and write to it. Rap is nothing but a reflection of a lifestyle. We are all different ages and have different lifestyles so we emulate that through our music.
I mean...[pauses]. What was the question?
How did the concept for "Booty Roll" come about?
Originally the song was supposed to be 'I wanna see your p*** hole'. It was a strip club song. We were like 'this is kind of hot!' so we had to make it radio ready.
'I wanna see your booty roll'. Thats how that came about. I have the most vulgar verse on there that had a lot of editing done to it. I didnt even get the
authorization for the editing but they just did it so we could be marketable.
So what can we expect on the next GnacBoys album?
Oh just a lot of different music. We keep evolving. My wordplay is getting ridiculous, Cezanne is always gonna have ridiculous wordplay, Tone is always gonna
be the hype man, and Dirty Rap his wordplay...I mean he's a deep dude. We are all just gettin older so we'll have to see. Whatever its gonna be, its gonna be
big thats for damn sure.
have dissolved and werent worth our time. Right now we are all kind of split up. One our main components, Dirty Rap, is in Carolina right now and he's our
engineer. But he's coming back in about a month or so to Phoenix. Cezanne and I will be here in Tucson, so that way we can kind of strategically take over this
area.
GnacBoys have done a lot of shows with big name artists. Name a few and tell us how the experience was.
Stage presence is everything. I mean you can go into the studio and make a tight ass hit but performance has a lot of factors to it. Obviously persona,
swagger, style, and you have to paint a picture with the song. We opened for Clipse, Pitbull, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, Mack 10, Too Short, I can't think of who
else but The Clipse was a our first performance and we were bumping into each other on stage and all. It took us maybe about a few months to get it right. Its
been a good experience and I suggest to any rapper or rap group, you NEED to perform. Its one thing to make the music but if you have no image, no
swagger, and no stage presence then you don't have the complete package.
How did the last GnacBoys album 'Double Shot' get recorded?
That was all gutter recording, it was in the sweatbox. We did some outside recordings but Dirty Rap and Tone Baby went to the lab making beats and they
would basically pick a topic or me and Cezanne would pick one. And they would just come up with what it should sound like and create it then we would all just
sit down and write to it. Rap is nothing but a reflection of a lifestyle. We are all different ages and have different lifestyles so we emulate that through our music.
I mean...[pauses]. What was the question?
How did the concept for "Booty Roll" come about?
Originally the song was supposed to be 'I wanna see your p*** hole'. It was a strip club song. We were like 'this is kind of hot!' so we had to make it radio ready.
'I wanna see your booty roll'. Thats how that came about. I have the most vulgar verse on there that had a lot of editing done to it. I didnt even get the
authorization for the editing but they just did it so we could be marketable.
So what can we expect on the next GnacBoys album?
Oh just a lot of different music. We keep evolving. My wordplay is getting ridiculous, Cezanne is always gonna have ridiculous wordplay, Tone is always gonna
be the hype man, and Dirty Rap his wordplay...I mean he's a deep dude. We are all just gettin older so we'll have to see. Whatever its gonna be, its gonna be
big thats for damn sure.
Do you ever plan to release a solo album?
I mean honestly yeah. I was a solo artist before anything. I released to albums in the Bay Area before I
left. I had all kinds of different names, I was 'Dirty D', 'Devious', I mean you name it. But then i just took
on my real name. My first name is Dominic and my middle is DeLeon. So Dom DeLeon and there you
have it. But my solo album wont be until the group is on. The group is my main focus right now.
What do you look to for inspiration in your music?
You know what? I'ma tell you a secret. I think the best rhymes I've created were while I was driving.
When I did smoke, that would inspire me and I would get outside my boundaries. But now that I don't do
that anymore, it just depends. There's songs that I just refuse to get on. There's things that I just don't
do. I'm not a dope boy, so I'm not gonna be on there talking about white powder and moving all this blow
across from state to state. I do deal with weapons so basically I'm just gonna talk about what I've done.
Musically, who is your biggest influence?
I mean honestly yeah. I was a solo artist before anything. I released to albums in the Bay Area before I
left. I had all kinds of different names, I was 'Dirty D', 'Devious', I mean you name it. But then i just took
on my real name. My first name is Dominic and my middle is DeLeon. So Dom DeLeon and there you
have it. But my solo album wont be until the group is on. The group is my main focus right now.
What do you look to for inspiration in your music?
You know what? I'ma tell you a secret. I think the best rhymes I've created were while I was driving.
When I did smoke, that would inspire me and I would get outside my boundaries. But now that I don't do
that anymore, it just depends. There's songs that I just refuse to get on. There's things that I just don't
do. I'm not a dope boy, so I'm not gonna be on there talking about white powder and moving all this blow
across from state to state. I do deal with weapons so basically I'm just gonna talk about what I've done.
Musically, who is your biggest influence?
Wow. You know what I can't even answer that question. I'm not trying to be like anyone. I love different swaggers about different cats. Tupac was just such a
motivator. Lil Wayne I gotta say him, he's murdering it. I don't know man....
Are there any collaborations in the works or people that you would like to work with?
I want to work with everybody just to be honest with you. But no we don't really go outside our boundaries and we haven't planned on working with any
rapper or singer. There's a lot of untapped talent that we want to work with, a lot of people... but its just about doing you.
The desert heat has got this rapper hot about a lot of things but just like anybody else he is entitled to his own truth. After years of experience and the ups
and downs of the music business, Deleon gives us a piece of his mind.
People have had their opinions on 'Tuc Town' music. And it seems a lot of people hate a little more on the 'crunk' idea. Whats your opinion on that?
I mean, Tone Baby is from a Atlanta so that crunkness comes from Tony. I'm from the Bay but I'm still not all 'hyphy this and hyphy that'. I've kind of grown
out of that whole thing. The thing about Tucson is that there is really no head figure out here. There is no main person in this region. Tucson music is
dominated by the Hispanic population. Thats no lie. Thats why I get in so good down here. Whats locally accepted by the radio, HOT 98.3, is Baby Bash and
stuff like 'Lean Like a Cholo'. There is no face. Theres a melting pot of rappers out here but there is not one man or woman that has stuck a flag in Tucson
and said 'we're gonna set the trend'. The problem is the radio is not behind these local artists. I'm seriously considering picketing the radio station, not even
to get radio play but I just want the exposure. You go to the Bay Area or you go to Atlanta and there's five different hip hop stations. And they support their
local music. Hot 98.3 is the only so called hip hop radio station out here and you have all these radio personalities like R-Dub, CK, and Puerto Rico. He ain't
even Puerto Rican they just call him Rico Suave. And I'm telling you cats out in the streets do not like him. None of these radio personalities are accessible.
Where are you? I'm in the street everyday, lots of cats are grinding everyday. But there is no face. All it takes is that one person to kick down the door.
Even back when The Green Beat first started controversy was in the air. After the interview with local rapper AGS, new enemies were created. But since then
the air has been pretty clear. But we thought we would go ahead and see the other side of the story.
I gotta ask you, what happened to the beef between you and AGS?
Ok this is what happened, he's a young cat, he's a white rapper, and I mean there's nothing wrong with that I mean I'm part white. But he was talking some
shit. It was all hearsay, I could give a fuck less. I heard he was talking some shit and he didn't appreciate our music and I mean thats cool he has his opinion
but what was relayed to me was this man was talkin' bout lets battle and just had this boss type, you know, mob type mentality. And to be honest, I've been
fighting most of my life. I can't lie I like to fight. So when I heard he was on this 'I want to be on some thug shit', I didn't know who he was but he obviously
knew who I was. All this was hearsay, so I basically emailed him and put out there like we can take this to the streets. I'm not a battle rapper. And I wasn't
tryna toot my own horn or make it sound like somethin' it ain't but I don't have time for no little kids, man. And thats just the bottom line. I ain't saying I'm
better than you or anything like that, shit you might have more flow than me but I don't know you and you know me, yet you hatin on myspace wit it. If theres
a problem man come see me. And I don't think there is. I'm sure he's grown too, he's just tryna make it just like us. That's all.
Kanye West vs. 50 Cent
I love 50, his swagger is killin it but as a complete package, Kanye. As far as killing it with the beats, the versatility, and the actual rhyming definitely Kanye
West.
Timbaland vs Just Blaze
Ah man, Tim! He's been doin it since Aaliyah. His beats are never the same. He's sleeper, he made a lot of tracks that you might not even think of.
T.I. vs Ludacris
Whew! if you talk about right now whos hot, T.I. He's accepted by the white audience. T.I. and Ludacris at their peaks, thats a tie.
Any shout outs?
I'd like to thank myself, thanks to The Green Beat, my crew. Tucson, we gotta get it done.
Word Up!
For more info on Dom Deleon please go here.
For more info on the Gnacboys please visit their official website.
motivator. Lil Wayne I gotta say him, he's murdering it. I don't know man....
Are there any collaborations in the works or people that you would like to work with?
I want to work with everybody just to be honest with you. But no we don't really go outside our boundaries and we haven't planned on working with any
rapper or singer. There's a lot of untapped talent that we want to work with, a lot of people... but its just about doing you.
The desert heat has got this rapper hot about a lot of things but just like anybody else he is entitled to his own truth. After years of experience and the ups
and downs of the music business, Deleon gives us a piece of his mind.
People have had their opinions on 'Tuc Town' music. And it seems a lot of people hate a little more on the 'crunk' idea. Whats your opinion on that?
I mean, Tone Baby is from a Atlanta so that crunkness comes from Tony. I'm from the Bay but I'm still not all 'hyphy this and hyphy that'. I've kind of grown
out of that whole thing. The thing about Tucson is that there is really no head figure out here. There is no main person in this region. Tucson music is
dominated by the Hispanic population. Thats no lie. Thats why I get in so good down here. Whats locally accepted by the radio, HOT 98.3, is Baby Bash and
stuff like 'Lean Like a Cholo'. There is no face. Theres a melting pot of rappers out here but there is not one man or woman that has stuck a flag in Tucson
and said 'we're gonna set the trend'. The problem is the radio is not behind these local artists. I'm seriously considering picketing the radio station, not even
to get radio play but I just want the exposure. You go to the Bay Area or you go to Atlanta and there's five different hip hop stations. And they support their
local music. Hot 98.3 is the only so called hip hop radio station out here and you have all these radio personalities like R-Dub, CK, and Puerto Rico. He ain't
even Puerto Rican they just call him Rico Suave. And I'm telling you cats out in the streets do not like him. None of these radio personalities are accessible.
Where are you? I'm in the street everyday, lots of cats are grinding everyday. But there is no face. All it takes is that one person to kick down the door.
Even back when The Green Beat first started controversy was in the air. After the interview with local rapper AGS, new enemies were created. But since then
the air has been pretty clear. But we thought we would go ahead and see the other side of the story.
I gotta ask you, what happened to the beef between you and AGS?
Ok this is what happened, he's a young cat, he's a white rapper, and I mean there's nothing wrong with that I mean I'm part white. But he was talking some
shit. It was all hearsay, I could give a fuck less. I heard he was talking some shit and he didn't appreciate our music and I mean thats cool he has his opinion
but what was relayed to me was this man was talkin' bout lets battle and just had this boss type, you know, mob type mentality. And to be honest, I've been
fighting most of my life. I can't lie I like to fight. So when I heard he was on this 'I want to be on some thug shit', I didn't know who he was but he obviously
knew who I was. All this was hearsay, so I basically emailed him and put out there like we can take this to the streets. I'm not a battle rapper. And I wasn't
tryna toot my own horn or make it sound like somethin' it ain't but I don't have time for no little kids, man. And thats just the bottom line. I ain't saying I'm
better than you or anything like that, shit you might have more flow than me but I don't know you and you know me, yet you hatin on myspace wit it. If theres
a problem man come see me. And I don't think there is. I'm sure he's grown too, he's just tryna make it just like us. That's all.
Kanye West vs. 50 Cent
I love 50, his swagger is killin it but as a complete package, Kanye. As far as killing it with the beats, the versatility, and the actual rhyming definitely Kanye
West.
Timbaland vs Just Blaze
Ah man, Tim! He's been doin it since Aaliyah. His beats are never the same. He's sleeper, he made a lot of tracks that you might not even think of.
T.I. vs Ludacris
Whew! if you talk about right now whos hot, T.I. He's accepted by the white audience. T.I. and Ludacris at their peaks, thats a tie.
Any shout outs?
I'd like to thank myself, thanks to The Green Beat, my crew. Tucson, we gotta get it done.
Word Up!
For more info on Dom Deleon please go here.
For more info on the Gnacboys please visit their official website.
