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Hip hop has evolved over the years. How do you see your music evolving?
My music evolves as I evolve. I create my music from an area within myself before I even physically make it or make it in a way that it
could be heard. So as I grow, my music’s going to grow. I have a lot of radical ideas as you can see on my album, its kind of all over
the place but it all comes from deep within me.
What do you think the Tucson market is and how do you plan to target it?
There is no Tucson market first and foremost. The only way that you can target a market where there is no market is to create a
market. So before I give up too much, lets just say I’m working on creating a market here rather than just trying to market to the
people here. They’re not concerned with hip hop. I mean a lot of people look at me like I’m crazy, even people that rap look at me like
I’m crazy. You cant market [something] to people when they are not familiar with it. I guess the first mission I’m going to accomplish is
to get something in everyone’s hand.
What image do you define yourself as, and how important do you think it is to have an image in hip hop?
My image is kind of a nostalgia type thing. Its very of the times. You can look at me and tell that I'm very in tune with hip hop and that I
know what hip hop “is”. Shout out to Soulja Boy! [Laughs]. Its very important to have an image. Once again I’ll bring up Soulja Boy.
He created the “Superman” which is his dance, that’s his thing. It familiarized people with him, people were running around doing his
dance. So its very important to have an image. Even NWA had an image, they were gangsta rappers and that’s an image everybody
wants to have. Mase had an image. The “pretty boy” image, we all got one of them runnin’ around. My image is just me and a
reflection of hip hop, the physical manifestation.
I'm glad you brought up the point of real hip hop because nowadays people seem to have their own definition of real hip hop
especially negating the “snap” music or the simple music played in the clubs-
-Shout out to Soulja Boy! [Laughs]
What do you think is real hip hop?
Real hip hop is hip hop that came from within you. See back in the day when somebody like Rakim, Melly Mel, or Grandmaster Caz
would spit out a rap, they would spit a rap about something that was pertinent to what was going on around them. They wouldn’t
necessarily take on the image of something around them and incorporate that in their music. Real hip hop is hip hop that is portrayed
in a real matter. I don’t see people on a day to day basis running around getting “silly” or dancing the “Superman” that’s just not real
to me.
So do you feel that your music embodies hip hop?
I think my music embodies me and I AM a representation of hip hop. So with that being spoken, my music is going to be what I think
music is. I can say the same for someone like Soulja Boy, but if you listen to my album you’ll hear what I’m talking about. Real hip hop
has grit and dirt on it, you feel me? Its kind of gully but still smooth, it carries a lot of undertones from the music that our parents
listened to as we were coming up, you know sampling Isaac Hayes or James Brown. Once you start deviating from that, you start
coming up with a more pop sound or electronic type sound. I do that too, I just feel like real hip hop, to sum it up is anyone doing
anything original, anyone that’s not doing what the next man’s doing.
So lets talk about your music. Your album “Whatchu Lookin’ @?” is finally out, what took so long?
Um, well the album was being made at a time when I was involved with some people who I thought had my best interest. It was just
politics of the game. Any artist out there will tell you that they’ve been through some shit. Basically my songs were being held for
ransom on some ‘I want you to fuck with me’ type shit and I had to secretly get them off computers….hold on real quick. [His phone
rings, he answers briefly]
My bad…but yea, at one point I had the funds to do it full blown with commercials and all that but then I had to use that money to get
myself a studio so I could have studio sessions to record another album. Because I didn’t want to release the album and not have
another one ready knowing that people would hungry for more. So in a way it actually worked out for me. It gave me a chance to put
it out correctly. If you’ve seen it, its done well. I aint tryna brag or nothing but it’s a pretty good looking package. Its all been done by
my company FLC Entertainment. I funded all of this, I don’t have anybody backing this.
TO READ MORE, BE SURE TO COP THE MAGAZINE IN NOVEMBER!!!
My music evolves as I evolve. I create my music from an area within myself before I even physically make it or make it in a way that it
could be heard. So as I grow, my music’s going to grow. I have a lot of radical ideas as you can see on my album, its kind of all over
the place but it all comes from deep within me.
What do you think the Tucson market is and how do you plan to target it?
There is no Tucson market first and foremost. The only way that you can target a market where there is no market is to create a
market. So before I give up too much, lets just say I’m working on creating a market here rather than just trying to market to the
people here. They’re not concerned with hip hop. I mean a lot of people look at me like I’m crazy, even people that rap look at me like
I’m crazy. You cant market [something] to people when they are not familiar with it. I guess the first mission I’m going to accomplish is
to get something in everyone’s hand.
What image do you define yourself as, and how important do you think it is to have an image in hip hop?
My image is kind of a nostalgia type thing. Its very of the times. You can look at me and tell that I'm very in tune with hip hop and that I
know what hip hop “is”. Shout out to Soulja Boy! [Laughs]. Its very important to have an image. Once again I’ll bring up Soulja Boy.
He created the “Superman” which is his dance, that’s his thing. It familiarized people with him, people were running around doing his
dance. So its very important to have an image. Even NWA had an image, they were gangsta rappers and that’s an image everybody
wants to have. Mase had an image. The “pretty boy” image, we all got one of them runnin’ around. My image is just me and a
reflection of hip hop, the physical manifestation.
I'm glad you brought up the point of real hip hop because nowadays people seem to have their own definition of real hip hop
especially negating the “snap” music or the simple music played in the clubs-
-Shout out to Soulja Boy! [Laughs]
What do you think is real hip hop?
Real hip hop is hip hop that came from within you. See back in the day when somebody like Rakim, Melly Mel, or Grandmaster Caz
would spit out a rap, they would spit a rap about something that was pertinent to what was going on around them. They wouldn’t
necessarily take on the image of something around them and incorporate that in their music. Real hip hop is hip hop that is portrayed
in a real matter. I don’t see people on a day to day basis running around getting “silly” or dancing the “Superman” that’s just not real
to me.
So do you feel that your music embodies hip hop?
I think my music embodies me and I AM a representation of hip hop. So with that being spoken, my music is going to be what I think
music is. I can say the same for someone like Soulja Boy, but if you listen to my album you’ll hear what I’m talking about. Real hip hop
has grit and dirt on it, you feel me? Its kind of gully but still smooth, it carries a lot of undertones from the music that our parents
listened to as we were coming up, you know sampling Isaac Hayes or James Brown. Once you start deviating from that, you start
coming up with a more pop sound or electronic type sound. I do that too, I just feel like real hip hop, to sum it up is anyone doing
anything original, anyone that’s not doing what the next man’s doing.
So lets talk about your music. Your album “Whatchu Lookin’ @?” is finally out, what took so long?
Um, well the album was being made at a time when I was involved with some people who I thought had my best interest. It was just
politics of the game. Any artist out there will tell you that they’ve been through some shit. Basically my songs were being held for
ransom on some ‘I want you to fuck with me’ type shit and I had to secretly get them off computers….hold on real quick. [His phone
rings, he answers briefly]
My bad…but yea, at one point I had the funds to do it full blown with commercials and all that but then I had to use that money to get
myself a studio so I could have studio sessions to record another album. Because I didn’t want to release the album and not have
another one ready knowing that people would hungry for more. So in a way it actually worked out for me. It gave me a chance to put
it out correctly. If you’ve seen it, its done well. I aint tryna brag or nothing but it’s a pretty good looking package. Its all been done by
my company FLC Entertainment. I funded all of this, I don’t have anybody backing this.
TO READ MORE, BE SURE TO COP THE MAGAZINE IN NOVEMBER!!!
In Tucson its hot. But not just in a way with degrees Fahrenheit, but pressure to have hip hop as a stable ground. Tensions and
debates have constantly been brought up in the face of nearly every rapper in the city. Since The Green Beat started two years ago,
there has been a whirlwind of opinions and some actions being taken. But for the most part, two years later, the city has yet to have
an impact on the hip hop world. But when it does happen, does that mean the gates will be held open for everyone?
For some its been a long journey. For Dreeky Dreek, its about damn time. I sit here again, two years later, and proceed to go into the
mind of a more mature, more business oriented artist. Two years ago he was freshly recording his album "Whatchu Lookin @?" with
all the support any beginning artist would get. But then the storm hit. Two years later the album is just being released. It sounds like a
fairy tale story to any hip hop artist in the game. Rapper works for nearly a decade, rapper finally records, rapper has tight family of
friends, album is delayed month after month, rapper loses friends and trustees, and then the album finally drops. Now what?
Whats different this time around? The 25 year old rapper is wearing a plain white T-shirt and some jean shorts. But strangely, or
maybe not, he is wearing some oversized glasses reminiscent of the late 80s. He is calm, and as before, always looks like he's
thinking about something. Things have changed, in case you didn't know....
debates have constantly been brought up in the face of nearly every rapper in the city. Since The Green Beat started two years ago,
there has been a whirlwind of opinions and some actions being taken. But for the most part, two years later, the city has yet to have
an impact on the hip hop world. But when it does happen, does that mean the gates will be held open for everyone?
For some its been a long journey. For Dreeky Dreek, its about damn time. I sit here again, two years later, and proceed to go into the
mind of a more mature, more business oriented artist. Two years ago he was freshly recording his album "Whatchu Lookin @?" with
all the support any beginning artist would get. But then the storm hit. Two years later the album is just being released. It sounds like a
fairy tale story to any hip hop artist in the game. Rapper works for nearly a decade, rapper finally records, rapper has tight family of
friends, album is delayed month after month, rapper loses friends and trustees, and then the album finally drops. Now what?
Whats different this time around? The 25 year old rapper is wearing a plain white T-shirt and some jean shorts. But strangely, or
maybe not, he is wearing some oversized glasses reminiscent of the late 80s. He is calm, and as before, always looks like he's
thinking about something. Things have changed, in case you didn't know....
Written and interviewed by Tonyela Arphul