DEF Magazine - Issue 1

DEF Magazine

Featuring:

The Garden State Gargoyle

Fatboi Sharif

The Premier Underground Hip-Hop Magazine Issue #1

“The Hip-Hop that we grew up on is dead to a certain degree. I’m trying to keep it alive though, it’s alive in the underground, but don’t nobody know about it.”

-Sean Price

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The State of the Underground Address Hip-Hop is for creators, makers, rappers, poppers, breakers, taggers, scratchers, lovers, and haters. While most know Hip-Hop as the current most popular genre of music in the world, the culture of Hip-Hop is what makes it special. It was born in New York City out of the necessity for expression, and over the past 50 years, it has grown to reach the entire world. The average person in 2023 will go through their entire life without ever knowing what Hip-Hop culture truly is. The underground isn’t visible to those who aren’t looking for it, and that is exactly how it’s supposed to be. If you are reading this magazine, then you know exactly what I mean. To dig past the ground level, to crave the creativity and the community that Hip-Hop gives us. In digging our way underground, we have all found Hip-Hop. As we celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th birthday this year, it’s amazing not only to look back at the culture’s golden age but also to look at the time we are in right now.

The internet has helped Hip-Hop reach the farthest corners of the world, and make the culture’s rich history accessible to everyone. As the music has continued to grow on a mainstream level, it only has made the underground grow stronger. Over the past decade, a wave of talent has been rising from the ashes of the blog era, a generation of artists embracing their places in the underground. Never looking to “graduate” into a higher league, but instead elevating the league they are already in, channeling the originality and creativity that made Hip-Hop so phenomenal in its golden age.

Hip-Hop history as it’s told will always be incomplete because the story is rarely told from the perspective of the underground, but the underground is what Hip-Hop stands on. It has been a part of Hip-Hop since the beginning. From Rammellzee to Freestyle Fellowship, to Griselda, the underground is always there. 50 years after Kool Herc and Coke La Rock moved the first Hip-Hop crowd, a new generation is ready to be moved. There are so many talented artists through all mediums who love Hip-Hop and feel the need to contribute. So let’s reclaim the community around Hip-Hop, to chronicle the past, present, and future of the underground that needs to be discussed.

Stay DEF! 2

Album Reviews 3

Through the first 3 years of the decade, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has proved that he belongs in the conversation with the best MCs working today. His latest record Highly Favored is a victory lap for him, and the vibes on cloud nine are immaculate.

The project showcases his elite skillset while sitting in the winner’s circle, oozing with the confidence of knowing that his sound is highly favored.

After releasing almost a dozen projects in 3 years, making great albums feels like second nature for Ogbon.

Rapping comes to him like breathing, with a flow that is more reminiscent of one’s stream of conscious inner monologue, than a meticulous bombardment of wordplay. His lyrics seem to fall out of his mouth and land within a flow that is waiting to be invented. With the speed of his delivery on each line fluctuating seemingly at random, it sounds like he is finding the pocket at the exact moment that we are hearing it, making his raps feel alive.

This album is all about Jah-Monte knowing his worth. With an opening track titled ‘I’m Good Luv, Enjoy Though,’ Jah-Monte is calling his shot, no longer humoring what is below him. The first words of the album are: “When I was humble look how little it got me” This project is the abandonment of his natural humble nature, cashing in the respect that he has earned over the past 3 years. This album isn’t an evolution of his sound, but moreso a doubling down of his established greatness.

The project’s lead single ‘My Old Plug Still Pussy, FYM,’ is destined to be one of Ogbon’s finest songs of this stage of his career. His songwriting is infectious, setting him apart from his contemporaries, creating an earworm of a hook, repeating:

Highly Favored

lORD JAH-MONTE OGBON & BUCK DUDLEY “I made my plug the proudest when I ran it up” Jah-Monte glides on this track with the glossiness of a new school soul train performance. The beat is timeless, channeling 70’s soul while embodying the now.

New Jersey titan Crimeapple, who is no stranger to using his rap to celebrate a winning streak.

Even when Jah-Monte encounters a loss, he’s able to process it in a positive light here. On ‘Pray For My Pending Case’ he laments what could happen if his court case goes wrong, but he is hopeful for a better outcome. He raps: “I never left the country, barely left my state. Now I can’t catch a break, can’t catch a breath, we fucking meditate.”

Even at a point where he is at his lowest, he is able to re-center himself and understands that he needs to meditate. Then he immediately looks to life’s more important questions in the very next line: “Her ass fat, but is her credit straight?”

This album’s production is handled entirely by Buck Dudley, whose beats have the essence of winning.

He’s able to make heaven feel like a lazy Sunday afternoon, with laid-back soul samples reminiscent of the sun shining through an opening in the clouds.

Jah-Monte cuts out of every track about 30 seconds early to let Dudley have his time to shine to close out each song. Whether he’s adding samples, changing the beat completely, or just letting the main loop ride out, it helps each song flow into the next, feeling more like a great dream than a typical EP. For the song ‘Popping On Estrn Pkwy,’ the duo enlists the help of

Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon doesn’t push the boundaries of his artistry on this project, but he doesn’t need to. He can cash in his chips and bet on himself once more, giving us a soundtrack to when life is hitting you with all the right notes.

‘I’m Done Signing Vinyl’ is the closing statement of the project, letting the listener know that this is a new Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon. One who knows what he deserves and is confident enough to put his foot down and get it. And while the victory lap of the album has concluded, I’m excited to see where this new Jah-Monte goes, now that he has entered his prime with passion.

By DEF Goldbloom 4

SPIRIDON Starker and Theravada

At a mile a minute, SPIRIDON runs just a little longer than a marathon, and Starker and THERAVADA are going full Eliud Kipchoge the entire race. And they both more than earn the medals that adorn the perfectly pertinent covers of this album, beautifully shot by THERAVADA himself. Starker is at full sprint on SPIRIDON: there’s no warm up, no warm down - all killer, no filler, from the first second to the last. None of this is exaggeration, from the initial moment of the opening track ‘Rhapsody’ featuring YL, Starker proves his thesis that, “it’s okay to rap fast.” In media res, Starker is already at top speed, a velocity that he does not relinquish until the project is over, demonstrating a technical proficiency that few could ever hope to match. Pushing his flow into unprecedented places, Starker floats across the bar line, going as far as to even reference it within his lyrics, like he’s Rakim on ‘Eric B. Is President.’

to keep up the endurance and quickness of the collaboration. Lyrically, Starker is sharper than ever, forever witty, vicious, and bombastic. ‘Alternate Side Parking’ is evidence of this with lines like: “The shell’ll flip like gymnastics, You goin’ see through one eye like Maximillion Pegasus…”

“Think ‘cuz I took my son to Disney World, I’m Mickey Mouse? (You will get shot!)”

Rhyming gymnastics with Pegasus, Starker shows an elite level of sound melding, as he uses his pronunciation and rhyme pattern with the ‘i’ sound to

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“Imma put four holes in you like Wallabees, popping bottles, dropping Gs, wise words spoken like Aristotle, Socrates, Got it on lock like a Jewish breakfast, cream cheese, and lox” Or on ‘Ben Wallace’ where Starker almost stumbles on his own quickness, picking himself up mid-bar to show that he’s effortlessly personable over an ominous beat comprised of swirling keys and percussion: “We pushing crack, … fuck cracking a smile, I need a stack, I need a stack twice the size of my child (Baby Milo!)”

But if I had to choose one lyric to end on it would be this one from ‘Ben Wallace’: “I’m everlasting, like the first impression”

“I’m out of line when writing the rhyme” With Starker pushing the pace from the jump, the only way that SPIRIDON was not going to get ahead of itself was if THERAVADA also pushed the pace with the production like a perfect running partner. There’s a great driving force behind every track here in the percussion. Whether it’s in your face like the drums on ‘Alaskan Pole Fishing’, or subtle on ‘Wayans Bros.’, or whether it’s a tambourine on ‘Why’, it, to me, is what grounds these beats, creating an unstoppable and compelling momentum which pushes Starker into bewildering places. The structure too accelerates the project: with each section passing the baton onto the other like a relay, giving us two 13 minute tracks for the digital release of the album. A wholly unique approach to a rap project which works

flows from Starker is at every turn on SPIRIDON. Like on ‘Enclave’ where, atop a laser show of synths, keys, and some indescribable sci-fi computer glitch, Starker keeps us grounded in classic New York fashion and cuisine:

transform these words into magnificence.

Plus, a Yu-Gi-Oh! reference is always going to get extra points. Then just a couple of bars later, we get a taste of Starker’s trademark humour, with the punchline striking on the adlib to make full use of all the tools on his belt. The drums are tight and subtle on this track, often only the hi-hat pierces through the other layers on every fourth. A staccato organ sounds off to drive the less emphasised drums, attempting to challenge the warping, melting, and bending vocal sample that shifts in and out of comprehension, all coming together to form a constantly moving and evolving soundscape that allows Starker to let loose. God bless THERAVADA. And this one-two punch of a seminal THERAVADA beat and transcendent

From the first second to the last, SPIRIDON absorbs you, it drags you into the race whether you like it or not. THERAVADA provides my favourite collection of beats I’ve heard in a long time, pulling together an array of sounds and moods to compliment and compel Starker to deliver my favourite performance of his to date. There is something special about SPIRIDON, from its sound to the fact Starker literally invents new flows here, to the way that the project is structured, and to the art direction. SPIRIDON reminds me how young hip-hop is in the best way: it is fresh, forward-thinking, and unique. It is home to one of the best performances in the past decade, and production that needs to be studied. SPIRIDON is like sprinting a marathon, it shouldn’t be possible, but with Starker and THERAVADA, they achieve something everlasting, like the first impression.

By Oliver Hogg

In JPEGMAFIA’s prior works, his imagery, mood, instrumentals, vocal delivery, and sonic style all work in synergy to create a consistently chaotic listening experience. Somehow, he and Danny Brown sustain this practice on SCARING THE HOES, an album with endless variety.

Pushing the boundaries of genre, JPEG’s eclectic production employs musical elements from glitch-hop, noise, electronic, and several sub-genres of contemporary underground hip-hop. This creates a sonic canvas on which the duo can dizzy the listener without losing their attention. For example, after the chorus of “Burfict!” the beat swiftly switches to feature cinematic horn samples and a dramatic drum breakdown behind Peggy’s authoritative chanting vocals. The track suddenly feels as if it were plucked straight from the Blaxploitation film that the album art seems to depict.

SCARING THE HOES Danny brown and jpegmafia

Air Force veteran status, fans of JPEG will glean a message that frequently permeates his music; the world can be twisted, and it births twisted people who are inclined to scorch the earth with their anger. Though when a verse starts with a boast about his new and improved hairline, Peggy subtly instructs the listener not to dwell too much, and to keep raging, laughing in the face of hopelessness.

In between these keen references and occasional clever analogies, JPEG’s lyr-

While some of his bars might feel funny, others demonstrate why Danny has become one of the underground’s most cherished artists:

“Look where my hairline has came Left and the right is the same You bitches should form up like Danity Kane”

“Gimme that Nancy, gimme that Ruth Gimme that Barbara, take out the tooth I feel like Trump when I step in the booth Drippin' like Rudy, you know how I do” Lyrics like these blur the lines of irony and give his music depth. When considered alongside his quick lyrical jabs at both ends of the political spectrum and

Some of the discourse surrounding the album has been about Danny’s place throughout the project. There are listeners who think the album plays more like a JPEGMAFIA project with Danny Brown features instead of an equally collaborative sound. However, given the variety of sounds and styles woven throughout, there is certainly more than enough room for Danny to leave his mark.

Danny’s happy-go-lucky delivery and absurd lyrics serve as a type of humorous through-line, cueing the listener to have some fun as they parse through the mayhem. This is especially true on tracks like “Orange Juice Jones,” where Danny playfully spits some bars over a light, airy, soulful beat. Danny’s energy makes this almost feel like a freestyle.

Lyrically, JPEG conveys his traditional provocative, politically nihilistic, tweaked-out imagery.

Within a handful of bars on “Kingdom Hearts Key,” he wrangles references to Danity Kane, political progressives and conservatives, and his new hair:

Peggy has a history of making public figures and politicians the subjects of his lyrics, often mocking them while simultaneously analogizing their likeness to his. On “Burfict!” he proclaims:

as a whole because like, when I hear n***** like Biggie and shit like that, it’s like, the rap, the level of rappin’ and what n***** do is different. It’s completely different.”

ics default to generic braggadocio delivered in common modern cadences. He employs the triplet all over this album, which provides some catchy rhythm to these otherwise turbulent tracks. In a recent episode of Danny Brown’s podcast, JPEG actually addresses his tendency to focus on assembling a holistic sound as opposed to drilling down on intricate lyrics and rhyme schemes.

Contrasting himself with bar-heavy legends from the 90’s, he explains: “I want to make the overall art … I’ll never sit down and write a bar to be like, ‘I hope n***** hear this.’ I just literally try to get my fuckin’ point across … and make the whole thing

“Mark McNairy sandals, dairy colored, hard to handle Trample over competition, they can't hold a candle.

Make examples out anyone in this bitch that really wanna fuck with Daniel Hall of fame from stolen base Bitch, I'm Mickey Mantle” Tracks like “God Loves You” and “HOE (Heaven on Earth)” highlight Danny’s contributions to the project. They juxtapose gospel choir samples with Danny’s cartoonish lyrics, sexually charged biblical puns, and ruminations of a hardknock life. If this truly is a trailer to what would be the greatest Blaxploitation film of 2023, I’ll take one ticket, please.

By Nolan Kelly 6

XODEX GIGAS Obijuan

‘Codex Gigas’ is quite the legendary tome. According to myth, this behemoth book was spawned out of a deal with the devil. But in actuality, was the tirelessly meticulous work of one man: Hermanus Inclusus, or ‘Herman the Recluse’ for the non-Latin speakers out there. Up on the mountain, he toiled for 25 years to produce a book that takes two people to lift, and not one mistake between the 160 animal skins that bound it. It’s hard to imagine what it would take to work so relentlessly and perfectly for so long, but Obijuan may have some idea. Over the past decade, Obijuan has released a discography of such high quality and quantity, that there are few who could even compare. And now, the man, the myth, the legend, has revealed unto us his own take on the giant book: XODEX GIGAS. A short project, but one so dense that it too requires two people to lift, as Obijuan enlists underground stalwart, Argov, to elevate up some of the decade’s best and most poignant writing.

The first track ‘FORBIDDEN FAVOR’ takes an excerpt from a documentary that details this devilish myth that surrounds ‘Codex Gigas’ and layers it over a trudging beat with chunky percussion, hard hitting bass punches, ominous synths and occult chanting to plunge you into the world of ‘The Devil’s Bible’. And I think it is this very idea of ‘The Devil’s Bible’ that frames the two major lyrical themes within XODEX GIGAS: colonialism and scripture.

Columbus first landed in the Americas on Guanahani, in The Bahamas, which saw the beginning of his horrific conquest which killed, enslaved, and displaced an uncountable number of innocent people. How did Columbus justify such evil? With the Bible,

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which is why we find phrases such as, “We carried the flag of the Cross and fought for our faith…. God gave us so much victory that we killed many people…”, within letters written by his conquistadores (Tamez, 2006). This was the Bible being used by a devil. Obijuan, a native Bahamian, paints these atrocities in petrifying and personal detail throughout XODEX GIGAS with further reference to religion at every turn.

On ‘STREETMONK’, Obijuan cuts through an angelic, swooning vocal sample, beautifully chopped

by Argov, with lyrics that get right to the crimes of Columbus:

“Blood from the person who took the first voyage, unearth a land, but don’t destroy it, Columbus knew the architecture was Moorish, deployed troops through Indian forests and mauled the origins…”

The juxtaposition of the heavenly instrumental with its marching drums and the stomach-churning lyrical content draws your attention so much so that it is unshakable throughout the rest of the project, giving even greater power to further gut-punches like, “They sold my great-grands off in a auction, the shit make me nervous”

on a track that just so happens to be called, ‘SON OF MAN’. None of this is coincidence, Obijuan and Argov work masterfully to sonically and thematically intertwine scripture with its putrid uses in history to posit profound theological statements that are echoed by the likes of Dube: “the success of colonisation is inseparably linked with the use of the Bible” (Dube, 2006). However, just like the great postcolonial theological scholars that I have referenced, it is not that Obijuan is claiming that scripture is evil, more so, the way that the likes of Columbus used it was as if the Bible was written by the Devil.

And this leads us into ‘FEET OF BRONZE’. Composed idyllically by Argov, some sort of woodwind instrument circles a stuttering drum beat, offset by tight horns and a syrupy bass line that melts into the mix, as Obijuan ties together the themes of the album magnificently. This track references Revelations 1:15 where Jesus’ skin colour is described as being a “burnished bronze”, which Obijuan invokes to point out the deep hypocrisy of Columbus’ actions and justification for said actions.

Columbus is responsible for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, he is responsible for enslaving people of colour, people who too would have had feet of burnished bronze, yet Columbus did so using the word of God and of Jesus to do so.

“Mortal man sole over holy sand, pull your soul away over stolen land” XODEX GIGAS is a stunning lesson in postcolonial hermeneutics hidden away in one of the best produced projects of the year. Across XODEX GIGAS, and all of Obijuan’s discography, we get insight into one of the greatest minds of our time through history and theology, underlined by a sonic palette that emphasises each point perfectly. A work of art that more than deserves your time and money. Obijuan and Argov have truly earned it.

By Oliver Hogg

Even God Has a Sense of Humor “Devil all on my heels, just tryin’ shake it,” are the words echoed on the opener to Maxo’s Even God Has A Sense Of Humor.

The California native is no stranger to the battles of human existence: depression, loss, breakups, and self-doubt, but Maxo seems to be in a more positive place nowadays. With that being said, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor is one last visit to his troubled days before being on the cusp of mainstream success.

And this success is entirely possible, this high-art wave of hip-hop continues to grow each day, with artists like Mavi and Earl Sweatshirt continuing to push its popularity every year. Maxo’s latest album is a great addition, and surely the masses are bound to catch on.

At times, this album is a meditation of self-reflection. ‘Face Of Stone’ sees Maxo staring in the mirror, picking his emotional stability and bad habits apart, but on other tracks he seems overwhelmed by the world around him: “I guess it all happened for a reason, We live and die, that’s the seasons” This sentiment rings out on the track ‘What 4’ as Maxo wails:

“My brothers is dying, my sisters is dead” The conflict between anguish and perseverance materialises as the record progresses, and this tension works best on tracks like ‘Nuri’: “Imagine bearing all your soul in a world you don’t trust” This concept emerges on the lead single for the album, ‘48’ in which Maxo and Pink Siifu alike reflect over a pristine Madlib loop. In an otherwise overwhelming tracklist, ‘Face Of Stone’ adds a very much needed burst of energy featuring some of the best writing and delivery we have seen from Maxo to date.

‘Onedayatatime’ and ‘FUCKZU’ feature little to no rapping at all, as they serve a purpose as interludes for the listener to ponder on the questions Maxo has been serving throughout the LP. He sticks to his formula, blending minimalistic production with poetic writing, but this album allows Maxo to flourish creatively, no clearer than the experimental vocals that manifest throughout the album. The fusion of cherished sample-loops and lavish live instrumentation creates a perfect sound palette for

Maxo

Maxo to voice these gripping stories.

He’s vulnerable, yet confident, wearing his heart on his sleeve as he bridges the gap between listener and artist.

The album feels minimal, but not to its detriment. Its ambient sound allows Maxo to take us on this spiritual journey through his direct delivery and personal songwriting. This represents a coming of age for Maxo, as he builds upon 2019’s LIL BIG MAN. His Def Jam debut saw him traversing through the unpredictability that comes with your early-twenties, whereas this album sees him trying to stay on a narrow path: “I’m just trying not to burn everything I touch” He’s still consumed by his past, as seen on ‘Still’, but with his music career starting to shine and ongoing personal development, the world is looking like a more optimistic place for Maxo.

Even God Has A Sense Of Humor is a tale of tragedy and trauma, but ultimately, it’s the search for redemption and growth that keeps this album focused.

By Connor Dobson

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Fatboi Sharif: the Garden State Gargoyle

By Def Goldbloom New Jersey has been home to some of the greatest minds to ever bless hip-hop. Jersey artists are able to feel the energy of New York while bringing an outsider perspective to the culture. As hip-hop’s 6th decade begins to take shape, Fatboi Sharif is the latest in a long line of Jersey artists set up to lead the culture into a new realm of artistry.

Known as the Garden State Gargoyle, Sharif is perched on a skyscraper of sound. His aerial view gives him the ability to see the past, the present, and the future of the genre, able to swoop in to fill in the blanks, finding places in the music that have never been explored.

In the 7 years since he released his first project, Sharif has gone from a talented artist with a world of potential, to one of the most distinct voices in the next generation of underground hip-hop. Redefining the boundaries of what the genre can sound and look like.

He uses cinematic sampling, demonic distortion, and an aversion to anything expected, allowing his music to feel like you’re falling into another dimension. With lyrics as vivid as the films that inspire him, Sharif is one of the best rappers rapping right now.

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When I learned that I lived only a half hour away from one of my favorite artists in the underground, I knew that we had to connect. I met Sharif in his hometown of Rahway and he took me to his local pub The ‘World Famous’ Waiting Room. With us getting to know each other over some Teriyaki wings, and his fellow Jersey artists ‘89 The Brainchild and Kohai, the Wonderguy behind us at the bar, I was led into the world of Fatboi Sharif.

[DG] I’ve been really loving your latest project, Planet Unfaithful, how did that come together?

I can tell that you take a lot of pride in creating specific vibes like that. What is your songwriting process like?

[FS] Well it’s funny cuz me and Roper started a whole nother project and it shifted into Planet Unfaithful. We started knocking it out, the beats he was sending me and the vibe that I was going for at the time, everything kind of came naturally and wrote itself. It’s funny cuz we cut it down, we had probably 10 songs altogether. The album is six so we went back in and maneuvered certain things around. Ya’ll will still end up with those songs down the line but that was a strong 6 that sums up the project and where we are in our musical relationship right now.

My process with writing in general, is like, once I get the beat it’s kind of me coming up with ideas and different vibes and stuff for the beat. I’ll maybe come up with a few patterns that I’ll write out on a voice note, or maybe just a few words that I’m just like “I want to use these words together”. Or just a thought, write it in the phone, vibe off with it. Sometimes it’s in the phone, sometimes in a notebook, it varies.

Planet Unfaithful Released in 2023

You said that you were working on a different project first that changed into Planet Unfaithful, was that a completely different project, or did it morph into this one?

A little of both. It was kind of a different sound, so we was like let’s do something smaller with this sound and elevate it down the line, kind of giving the people a peak of what’s to come.

You and Roper seem like you have such a great creative partnership together. This is only your second project together so far but are you guys working together behind the scenes all the time?

It always comes naturally to us, we always lock in, and when we lock in we lock in to the maximum. And it ends up being a lot of different material for different stuff but we take breaks cuz he got different artists that he works with, I got producers and artists that I work with so it’s always good to kind of take a month or two apart then come back together and it’s “yo what kind of beats you been making? Oh shit, this is crazy.”

Do you produce at all?

Not in the technical sense, but I’m definitely huge on my relationship with producers like “How about we add this, take this out, let’s reverse this.” So I’m definitely involved in the production.

I know you have your DJ alias DJ Porno Cyborg, are you spinning, are you scratching, or are you just picking songs?

What goes into that?

DJ Porno Cyborg is, I like to call it “a spirit mover of the world’s largest martian party” so I pick the records, I spin the records, I string the vibes together.

I describe it as spiritually scene setting, so let’s say I get a beat from whoever producer, I’ll go to sleep and I’m listening to it and it may have certain colors in the beat, it may have certain shapes in the beat.

Or it may just give me a picture in my head, then I’m just like how can I bring this image to life? And I always say, for me writing is God giving me a message in my sleep that I’m letting the whole world in on. For example, a beat like ‘Cinnamon’ off of Planet Unfaithful, I might hear that and let it play on a big speaker for about five hours, just letting it repeat and repeat, so maybe the second hour of sleep I might look and see a picture, let’s say I’m in a classroom. It’s a 25-degree classroom, but there’s mist coming from the ceiling, but the mist is hot, the mist is 82-degrees. I walk in the classroom and see a room full of children, but all their faces are missing, so it’s just blurry circles on their faces. I look in the corner of the classroom and I see a purple horse with green hoofs, then I wake up. So literally I’m like how do I describe this picture, this scene with these words?

I know you have a great team around you who all share a similar vision, what is it like to have a like-minded group of people around you like that?

Shoutout to the whole team, Roper Williams, Boogaveli, my man Driveby, OneShotOnce, Pootie. ‘89 The Brainchild and Kohai the Wonderguy behind us at the bar getting drunk as they do, and a lot of other people that I’m close with like Tase Grip and Geng PTP. To me, it’s one big family and community what we do. It’s more than just “this dude likes to do music, this other dude likes to do music. It’s more like me and him like to do music but we in synch with both of our visions, he has amazing art, he has amazing production, he has amazing videos, it’s all about spotlighting all of that, all of us supporting each other, even you, when I saw your videos I was like “oh this needs to be at the top of the food chain, this is a new perspective.” Before I even knew you were from New Jersey I knew it was dope.

Gandhi Loves Children

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I know that you famously fall asleep to beats and let lyrics come to you in your dreams, could you describe how that process works?

Released in 2020

I appreciate that man, I’m so happy to be a part of this scene.

To piggyback off of that New Jersey sentiment, you can feel that everyone around is starting to bubble up. I feel like everyone is taking steps up at the same time right now in Jersey. What does it feel like to be a part of a moment like this as it’s happening and seeing everyone prosper?

It’s amazing. Like they always say, from the 80s til now, we kind of always made shit cool and brought something new to the game. And sometimes we get slept on, but right now we’re back in the embracement period where you can’t look at Jersey and not see everything that we’re influencing. From club music like the Beyonce album and all that shit to the top of the underground, from the Mach-Hommy’s to the Crimeapple’s.

What’s your favorite of your own projects?

Preaching in Havana and Cyber City Society were released 7 months apart but in the same year. Are those albums related in your mind at all?

It’s crazy cuz they literally were made during the same time period, along with my next project that’s coming out. I would literally leave one studio, go to the next studio, then I’d go to the next studio. I wouldn’t say the albums are two sides of the same coin, I’d just say that it all happened naturally. Those particular beats from noface had me writing a certain way, the beats from Lonesword had me writing a certain way and it all went in synch.

How did you get your start rapping?

I started off doing poetry. I’ve always Preaching in Havana. But I love everything I’ve been a fan of hip-hop from my parents Preaching In Havana ever done, everything is bringing something new but around third or fourth grade I startto the table, going back through Age of Extinction ed doing poetry and I used to win all types Released in 2022 was its own world, Ape Twin was its own world, then of poetry competitions and stuff like that. it kept elevating from Gandhi to Cyber City, all the way up to my Around fourth grade, going into fifth grade I started writing raps. next project that you had the beauty of hearing early. But for me, At that time you kind of still finding your voice, still figuring out Preaching in Havana was one of those projects that we what you want to write about. At that time period, the illest almade it and then once we got the final version bums to me, that I’m like “If I’m gonna write then it’s gotta back we were like “This is one of those be at least as ill as these albums” and I kind of kept that once in a lifetime projects.” You not up my whole career. It was Doc’s da Name by hearing nothing else like this.

Redman, Supreme Clientele from Ghost, the It was like Isaac Hayes or a Sly first Canibus album, E. 1999 Eternal from and the Family Stone project, Bone Thugs, Night Life from Outsidaz, where a lot of albums would and the Slim Shady LP. Those projects come out around it but it’s I was studying like “These some of the definitely its own world. I feel the same greatest lyrics I’m ever hearing” and I gotta way about Gandhi, it was a 1 of 1 for that time keep this tradition up my entire career. period, even Ape Twin was a 1 of 1 for that time period. And even this next project will be a 1 of 1.

(Interview continued on page 14)

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Fatboi Sharif raps with the vision of an auteur. From conception to completion, each song is the product of the uncompromised vision of Fatboi Sharif.

During our interview, it wasn’t long before our shared love of movies began to take over the conversation. Below are 10 of his favorite films of all time, and it’s easy to see parallels to these films within his discography. His 2022 EP ‘Cyber City Society’ would be the perfect soundtrack to Tsukamoto’s cyberpunk masterpiece ‘Tetsuo;’ while ‘Preaching in Havana’ could have been played by the sacrificial witches in ‘Lords of Salem.’ Each of his projects feels like a descent into madness, like the one the keepers experience in ‘The Lighthouse.’

Sharif’s lyricism shares the same yearning for the truth that is found in ‘Clockers,’ while delving into psychedelic conspiracy like ‘Jacob’s Ladder.’ His writing matches Harmony Korine’s fascination with the disturbing realities of life from ‘Gummo.’

‘Fantastic Planet’ and ‘The Holy Mountain’ hide critiques of modern-day society under a veil of dream-like imagery, mirroring the themes of every great Fatboi Sharif verse. He is drawn towards the taboo, from the psychosexual spiraling of ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ to ‘Eraserhead’s mission to unsettle. The spirit of all of these films lies within the art that Fatboi Sharif creates.

‘Clockers’ directed by Spike Lee

‘eraserhead’ directed by david lynch

‘The Holy Mountain’ directed by Alexandro Jodorowsky

‘The Lords of Salem’ directed by Rob zombie

‘Tetsuo: the iron man’ directed by Shinya Tsukamoto

Fatboi Sharif on art house cinema: “It’s the whole world that’s created with no boundaries and no expectation. With film and music, people create too much from a standpoint of ‘it has to say this and it has to be in a real textbook formality.’

To me that has always hurt the power and everlasting importance of what’s being made. Art should hit you with different emotions that you may not be able to explain the first 3 or 4 times you witness it. But real art to me, what I always got inspired by and what I strive for is those experiences that grow over time and become richer and the deeper meaning is unveiled as time goes on.”

Fatboi Sharif on how film inspires him: “That inspiration finds its way into the music for sure. With every blank canvas when I’m creating a new project or verse, I always say I don’t wanna give you what you expect. I honestly shock and surprise myself, but have it always be the highest quality. There’s certain ideas that I’ll write down for future songs and concepts that I know won’t make sense for about four years from now but should be delivered to the people.”

‘fantastic planet’ directed by René Laloux

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‘Eyes Wide shut’ directed by stanley kubrick

‘Jacob’s Ladder’ directed by Adrian Lyne

‘Gummo’ directed by Harmony Korine

‘The lighthouse’ directed by Robert Eggers

So this is around 99-2000 and then Age of Extinction comes out in 2017, so for those 17 years were you just sharpening your pen and practicing?

Yeah, sharpening it up. During that whole time period, it was just writing, crafting, freestyling a lot. I love to freestyle. So that time period was just crafting and getting amazing at my craft.

So when I jump off the porch as they say with recordings and live performances it’s like oh shit. And the good thing about that is I don’t have anything I can look back on like “I hated this” or anything. By the time it happened, I was ready. And it was just different because hop-hop and music changed a lot. In 99 it was that, then when I was writing in high school the illest stuff I was hearing now was Absolute P­ower from Tech N9ne, The Future is Now from Non Phixion, The Cold Vein from Cannibal Ox, so the lyrics gotta be as ill as this.

It really changes so much, even just in the past 5 years as Griselda started popping I feel like everybody wants to sound like them, which is why your music is carving its own path cuz there’s nothing like it even though it reaches that high bar of greatness.

That’s one thing I was always influenced by growing up, different stuff, different forms of literature I read and took in.

And really being brought up around different art types of stuff, it was amazing for my come up. Like I was saying I was heavy into poetry in 3rd or 4th grade, and around that period for about 5 or 6 years, I only listened to heavy metal and grunge music. So even that had a huge influence on me, how the power in your music is supposed to be. How your visuals and live shows should be. I get a lot of my stage performance energy comes from Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie and Slayer, and the heavy shit. And that all influences me today.

I love your visuals, I really appreciate how you take just as much pride in the visual presentation as the sonics.

And that’s how it’s supposed to be. Sadly with urban music, there’s only so much that we can go left with before we start turning people off, and to me that’s funny because other genres can do what they want. The Rolling Stones can do what they want, The Beatles can do what they want. But on some hip-hop shit its got to fit in a box like “it’s this type of rap no it’s this type of rap.” And it’s like fuck all that, this is dope shit. We are expressing shit that you may have not knew existed or you may have not seen before. So let it just express and be free within the music.

What goes into your live performances?

The first thing that goes into it is spiritually wanting to just do something that the crowd may not be used to or just painting a certain picture, so I got costumes or a mask or some shit. Even in the summer, I had a projector with a 30-minute video and it would show wrestling videos and different movies and cult shit, some porno shit. When I’m on stage I want people to say “Who the fuck is that?”

The following week I was able to see the full Fatboi Sharif experience in action. It was an eventful day, to say the least. After I accidentally flooded his basement (don’t ask) we made the trip to Jersey City, where the underground culture was on full display.

While in the city I had the pleasure of witnessing a studio session. We were hosted by Driveby, one of Sharif’s frequent collaborators and one of the most underrated producers in the state with a style of his own. The two recounted stories of recording and performing in anticipation of the show that night.

It was a mini-session Sharif noted, pointing out that he still had his shirt on by the end of it, but I still was able to see a bit of the magic that goes into the music. With ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’ and an episode of ‘Thundercats’ playing in the background, Sharif dropped two verses destined to be on his next great album. He recorded the main vocals then went through and laid his ad-libs which was a sight to see live. He went 1 time through reciting the verses in a whisper, another time in a dropped-down possessed baritone style, and one last recording with him fully unleashed screaming the lyrics on top of it. And when they played all 4 tracks over the top of each other, it sounded like the full Fatboi Sharif sound that he is known for. It was like watching a mad scientist at work.

From there we went over to the ‘Pet Shop’ for the performance that night. We lucked out as 2 shows were going on at the venue.

Downstairs was a who’s who of the scene, with almost a dozen beat makers and MCs sharing the time to command the room with their incredible hip-hop. However upstairs was the main event, the album release party for Kohai The Wonderguy’s Tales from NeoTokyo. Along with performances from Kohai, ‘89 the Brainchild, and BARS (who all killed it) Sharif was the special guest of the night, performing a mini set and owning the whole crowd. He took the mic and walked right into the crowd to perform. Shirt off, fedora on, a mic in hand, and a crowd of people rapping along with him. When Fatboi Sharif is performing, everyone takes notice. He is capturing the true heart of hip-hop, moving the crowd, and being a true king of the underground.

By Def Goldbloom 14

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From Fantastic Planet to Fantastic Hip-Hop The culture of hip-hop is one that thrives on the rediscovery of rare or elusive artifacts and the repurposing of those artifacts to create something new. This occurs in practice when a certain sound strikes the ears of a producer, and that producer performs the alchemy known as sampling. Every song, dialogue sound bite, or film score that’s ever been sampled contains something that resonated with that producer, and it’s no wonder why the movie Fantastic Planet, especially its soundtrack, has resonated with countless producers, including some of hip-hop’s greatest.

La Planète Sauvage (its original French title) is a French animated sci-fi film from 1973 about the violent societal struggle between two species on the planet Ygam.

The film’s narrative and visual elements have been undoubtedly influential to hip-hop, but it would be a disservice to not first explore the score of the movie, as it shines just as bright as the film’s other aspects, if not brightest of all.

Composed by French jazz musician Alain Goraguer, the funk-infused instrumentation, psychedelic rock influence, mournful, genre-blurring guitar and synth flourishes, and ghostly ambient vocal performances permeate the jazzbased score quite pungently. This soulful combination created a goldmine that allowed some of hip-hop’s most talented producers to chop, loop, and flip as they please.

The infectious melodies and otherworldly atmosphere from the score shine through in every track that samples it.

The omnipresent mystical mood that Goraguer created might be the allure to artists who are just as mysterious as they are prolific. Producers and rappers with music that samples the film’s soundtrack include Madlib, Flying Lotus, Cities Aviv, Mac Miller, Big Pun, J-Dilla, Westside Gunn, and many, many more.

Artists in this vein have a propensity for the imaginative and the bizarre, two assets this film has in spades.

Although the film and its score might seem alien on the surface, the plot of the movie grounds it, adding another layer of intrigue that specifically draws the attention of producers from a culture that is so often centered around societal oppression, and the oppressed’s struggle for liberation.

The film is a cautionary tale that comments on the perils and hypocrisy of classism, racism, speciesism, nationalism, and anthropocentrism, all in a breezy 72 minute run time. The primary inhabitants of planet Ygam are Draags, a technologically, spiritually advanced race of alien beings. Then there are Oms, tiny human beings kept under the thumbs of the Draags, sometimes as house pets, sometimes as pests to be exterminated.

The plot follows a young Om, Terr, from infancy when his mother is accidentally killed by a group of giant Draag children who were playfully tormenting her. Left frightened and alone, Terr is rescued and domesticated as a pet by Tiwa, the young daughter of a powerful bureaucrat Draag. By discretely sitting in on Tiwa’s automated education sessions, Terr is slowly able to gain knowledge while he suffers through his adolescence as a house pet. Any further attempt to summarize the plot may result in spoilers, so suffice it to say that the remainder of the film explores the tumultuous large scale conflict between the ignorant, however intelligent class of Draags as figurative fascist captors and the oppressed, de-humanized, rapidly evolving race of Oms.

This narrative likely resonates with many producers who are deeply entrenched in hip-hop, a counterculture that has consistently been used by marginalized groups of people as an amplifier to express the trials and tribulations of their struggles, and a vehicle to try and escape the shackles that society has put on them.

Visually, the film’s imaginative, surreal artistic style and cutout stop-motion animation create an environment that borders the absurd. It would feel dystopian if the Draags, who have evolved leagues further than the human beings of the past, didn’t have such a prosperous society. The eerie mood, quasi-dystopian tone, and cold yet fascinating landscape full of audio-reactive crystal fields and flying tentacled beasts are all products of this style. These visuals seamlessly lend themselves to the film’s themes as well.

Even though the film won the Grand Prix special jury prize at Cannes Film Festival in 1973 and was met with immediate critical acclaim, it isn’t commonly known to the masses. It seems as though only devoted fans of cinema, and now hip-hop, are aware of its existence. This only enhances the allure to a producer, whose bread and butter traditionally is digging through crates to find obscure records to sample and forge new art.

When Alain Goraguer, who passed away in early 2023 at the age of 91, scored this film, he might not have predicted that his masterful sonic backdrop to a stunning piece of cinema would also go on to inspire multiple generations of artists for decades to come. Or,

perhaps he did. If he had any inkling of what its potential would be, he likely did not think it would materialize into chops of his songs mapped onto an MPC. Was Stefan Wul, the author of the 1957 sci-fi novel “Oms en serie“ that the movie was adapted from, surprised to see his story given such rich new life on the silver screen? René Laloux, the film’s director, might have been the least surprised of all to see the film’s influence in an entirely different medium. As he was assembling all of the pieces of this film, each masterful in their own right, the wealth of inspiration must have been evident. James Cameron’s representation

of an alien planet with giant blue humanoids in Avatar only scratches the surface of the story’s influence.

In hindsight, it’s no surprise to the modern underground hip-hop fan that this film would find its way into the music and the culture. It’s filled to the brim with just about anything that could catch the eyes, ears, and minds of hip-hop musicians everywhere.

By Nolan Kelly 18

ARtists on the rise Bub Styles For the past few years, I’ve heard the sentiment “New York hip-hop doesn’t have a sound” I’ve also heard “New York imitates other hip-hop cultures rather than innovating their own sound.” Not only do I disagree with this point because without the state of New York not only does hip-hop not exist; we wouldn’t have as many people pushing this “new renaissance” forward. One of the main artists from New York standing on the front lines and moving the culture forward in every sense of the word is Bub Styles.

Where Brooklyn at? Alive and well whenever Bub Styles walks into a room. I first got familiar when he teamed up with Chubs to drop Corner Store Carnivores in 2021, and I was instantly hooked. With a gutter grimness that comes off so authentic it’s no secret why he’s becoming a champion in the underground.

Not only does he have the charisma of a wrestler in the 80’s but his lyricism is never compromised when the pens a page. In 2022 Bub released Outerwear SZN 2 and dropped his Head of the Boar and Flood Lights EP’s. Last but not least he teamed up with underground super-producer Retrospec to collaborate with countless artists in the underground scene to drop RAMBLE RAPS, one of hip-hop’s best compilation albums to date!

Bub’s influence on hip-hop isn’t through his music alone. He’s teamed up with Gee Media to create one of the most important platforms for rappers on this rise right now, Chinatown Sound. The reason I emphasize rappers and not hip-hop is because this platform is a way for artists young and old to come through and showcase what they can do. Through this Bub Styles and his team have thrown two Chinatown Sound events. I attended the second one and I can say I’ve never been so in awe at how many people packed out an underground show before in my life. The amount of underground royalty in the building this event produced was unmatched. This platform has showcased artists like Cassidy, Shotgun Suge, Lordsko, & Al Divino just to name a few.

You would think with so much work being put in Bub would be tired but it seems he’s just getting ready to keep applying pressure. In 2023 Bub Styles released Outerwear SZN 3 proving his constancy to his craft and his own platform will not be compromised. Not only an underground success but a critical success as well receiving a 7.7 from Pitchfork, Bubs has proven not only does New York have a sound, but he is a large driving force in the east coast hip-hop culture and he’s only getting more notoriety as time goes on. Bub Styles the cold cut king of New York has some of the coldest records cut in hip-hop right now.

Brooklyn is in good hands.

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By the rap revolution

In an era of carbon copies and clout chasers, the individuality of an artist is more important than ever. When an artist is able to put their entire self on wax, it builds a connection between them and the listener. NAHreally has been building that connection for a few years now. His lyricism is reference heavy poetry, feeling like taking a stroll through the mind of the artist, stopping to admire each thought he has as it passes. His music channels the mid-aughts free-flowing jazz rap renaissance while infusing it with the lyrical abstraction of the top modern underground MCs.

Nahreally

After refining his rhyme style on his Tape series, his debut EP Loose Around the Edges became one of my favorite projects of 2020. Entirely self-produced and without any features, this project is from start to finish a showcase of NAHreally’s complete artistry. The opening track ‘Head Grew’ chronicles him coming to terms with the changes in his life and the improvements in his skillset over the years.

He followed that up with HACKINAWAY, a project that levels up his debut in every way. Both the introspection of his lyricism and the intricacies of his beat-making are one step closer to the artist that NAHreally is capable of becoming. The title track ‘Hackin’ Away’ highlights his mind state as an underground artist grinding and refining his skills, taking steps to get to the top of his craft. And with his official debut full-length album coming later this year, this is only the beginning and his grinding is well worth it.

Aj Suede

Seattle is a bit of an untapped market when it relates to the modern underground scene. AJ Suede is an artist who is putting on for Seattle right now and he’s become one of the most reliable MCs in the underground.

Suede spent most of his life living in East Harlem but moved to Seattle around six years ago after being inspired by the cities thriving underground punk and rock scene. He takes his east coast dedication to hard-hitting lyricism and blends it with the left-field aggression of Seattle to create the perfect hybrid of dope hip-hop.

There’s a calm and quiet confidence to Suede’s rapping ability. He takes these philosophical and thought-provoking ideas, and masquerades them in punchlines and wordplay, making his high-concept ideas palatable for any fan of hip-hop.

He produces a lot of his own work himself, but that doesn’t stop him from teaming up with world-class producers for entire projects as well. Last year he teamed up with Small Professor for the incredible Hundred Year Darkness, which was one of the most slept-on projects in hip-hop.

His most recent album Parthian Shots is what really caught my ear. His lyricism and ear for crafting great albums is on par with the best around right now. With a release rate that keeps him in step with the hardest working artists in hip-hop, there is no limit to his potential going forward.

By DEF Goldbloom

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Streetwear Showcase Straight from the perilous streets of Juarez, Mexico to the concrete jungle of Denver, the father of streetwear brand Menaz Worldwide shares his thoughts on inspiration, motivation, and what really matters in life.

I FaceTime the creator of MENAZ WORLDWIDE on a chilly Thursday night. He answers with a beaming smile - “What’s up Bro!” A campfire and Coronas in his midst, surrounded by friends and family. I almost felt guilty interrupting such a beautiful moment, but he assured me it was no problem as he took a puff out of his joint.

MENAZ WORLDWIDE, a streetwear clothing brand from Juarez born, Denver based Brandon Navarrete Esquivel is a homage to some of his favorite fashion icons - Jerry Lorenzo, Rick Owens, and Kanye West. The pieces include a dual color sand/black jersey, spider webbed pattern gloves, and other garments all with the telltale “censored skeleton” design logo that Esquivel created himself. I got the chance to sit down with Brandon and ask him some pressing questions to explore who he is, what the brand encapsulates, and where he wants it to go.

Esquivel was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. One of the most dangerous cities in the country, if not, the world. Growing up he definitely saw his fair share of debauchery, shadiness, and crime all around him. It wasn’t until he was 5 years old that he had an experience that would alter his perception of the world.

“I suffered a massive stroke when I was 5” he recounts, a sense of lethargy in his voice. “I honestly shouldn’t be here, so everyday is like a gift to me!” He returns back to his usual cheery demeanor.

After moving to Westminster, CO when he was 7, Brandon got the chance to experience life to the fullest, everyday; although he was a bit shy when it came to expressing his creativity. It wasn’t until high school that Brandon broke out of his shell and started taking his leadership qualities to heart.

“Growing up Catholic, I didn’t really think to express myself much, but being exposed to other ways of thinking when I was in high school, I really branched out”. He mentions stories about his first psychedelic experiences, questioning religion, and eventually having his friends look up to him to make the right decisions.

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“I wanted to be a rapper at first”, he laughs as he mentions. “I feel like my voice wasn’t right for it, but that’s how I found clothing”. Brandon talks excitedly about seeing Rick Owens clothing for the first time, and how Kanye West was a huge inspiration to open his eyes to the possibilities of fashion. He also jokingly remarks that he felt like Nigo, starting his own brand from nothing and doing amazing things with it.

I had to ask: What does fashion mean to you? Why go from music to clothing?

“Be all you can be. That’s really all I gotta say. This human meat suit don’t mean shit to me - we’re infinite in this bitch - imma live forever” - His definition of fashion shows that not only is his art important to him, but every single aspect of his life is just as big as the next.

Once he hit his stride in high school, Brandon immediately got to creating, as much as he could. He started first and foremost with the logo. “I feel like I’m a rockstar. So when I was thinking of it, I said, ‘How do we make this as punk, rockstar, fuck the authority as possible?” Out came the cyclops skull logo that is donned on every MENAZ piece. He then moved onto creating pieces that you don’t normally see in smaller streetwear brands, such as the spider-web pattern gloves. “Yeah I definitely think Akira inspired me to make those, it was cool seeing the bikes, the fits they were wearing. Made me wanna turn it into real life.” And I would say he succeeded. The bright red on the gloves pop so well, they’re definitely a neck breaker for anyone trying to show out and give people their inner punk.

Don’t worry if it’s too much for you, they come in black as well.

brand. “Come home, have a Corona (with lime), get to designing until about 11-12AM, go to bed Rinse and Repeat.”

Who’s

your

favorite

style

icon

and

why?

“Right now? DxstroyLonely goes hard as hell. That’s what I’m on right now. That punk, dark shit. It’s sick.

He understands silhouettes and I definitely think my clothing would look sick on him.” A slight self-promo, but it’s warranted as his art has shown to match the vibe he explicitly states.

For MENAZ WORLDWIDE, the brand has grown from something Brandon made in his own room, with MS Paint and a single t-shirt press, to a full blown operation. Multiple drops a year, incredible designs, and statement-making pieces are only a slight glimpse into what MENAZ WORLDWIDE is about, and what it stands to gain from Esquivel’s watchful eye.

As the sky grew darker, and the fire burned brighter in the background of the call, I had to ask: What’s next?

What have you learned as a clothing designer? What was the most challenging part?

“Starting.” He remarks, and takes a drag out of his joint.

“I’m going crazy with it. I wanna have a store. I’m gonna make it happen. Hella collabs coming out, capsule collections, and more. This is just the beginning.” And frankly, I’d have to agree.

By Seher Ahmed

“I had no mentor, I would just snoop around on YouTube, or find pieces that I like and literally edit them on MS Paint to give me an idea of what it would look like. I’m honestly proud of myself. It’s a blessing to be able to create. All glory be to God!” I asked Brandon to walk me through his creative process. What starts the spark that gets you thinking about a piece?

“Honestly bro, I’m a shopaholic” he laughs. “I look at something and say ‘that looks interesting, I can make it better”. Even though some might say that he’s copying designs, he doesn’t see it that way. “Everything under the sun comes from somewhere else, and it’s never a 1/1 recreation, just drawing inspiration from it is all, that’s how you find your voice is by liking the shit you like, and going from there.”

Can you describe a day in the life of Brandon Esquivel?

“Wake up, BRUSH YOUR TEETH”, he repeats “Nah seriously, doesn’t matter if you don’t shower, at LEAST brush your teeth‘’ he chuckles. “Go to work, whether that be a 9-5 or other, have 8 hours in the day where you’re nothing but productive. It builds character.” You can tell he feels very strongly about this, and his work ethic shows in his

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Producer Profile

DK

How long have you lived in Halifax for and where were you born and raised?

I’ve lived in Halifax for 9 years but I was raised in a small town called Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s just outside of St. John’s. It’s a suburb of St. John’s.

When did you first start making beats?

I think I made my first beat in, I think 2008. I didn’t really take it seriously til later than that. I can’t remember when, I just started making beats back then. Yeah, and I liked some of the stuff that I made, so I stuck with it.

But I couldn’t really take it seriously until I got a bit older.

Who were some of your musical influences growing up and currently as well?

When I was young, there wasn’t really a whole lot of hip-hop being played. It was mostly classic rock like The Beatles, Hall & Oates, classic groups like that. Yeah, my dad had a pretty big collection of classic rock CDs. So that was mostly what was played around the house. My first introduction to hip-hop would have been Eminem or something like that. And then later on 50 Cent. Those are some of the first things I listened to. Oh, DMX, I forgot about him. But my current influences: I like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, DJ Premier, obviously, Gang Starr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

So those would be my more current influences.

Do you remember the first production credit of your career?

I don’t actually. I think I did something that was released in maybe 2009 or 2010. This emcee, his name was The Mighty Rhino, he found me online, on Facebook or something, years ago. Anyways, I sent him a few beats, and then Thrust from Toronto ended up hopping on the track as well. So I thought that was cool. I think the song was called “It’s Necessary.” I think that was my first placement, where somebody else actually rapped over my beats and really stuck commercially.

Who are your favourite producers?

Q-Tip is probably my favourite. DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, I like The Alchemist. Yeah, those would be my Top 4 or 5.

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Originally from Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Halifax-based producer, DK, is making waves in the local and provincial hip-hop scenes. In 2022, he linked up with rapper Ghettosocks to release their collabo album titled Listen to the Masters. The project was well-received and won a Music Nova Scotia Award for Hip-Hop Recording of the Year. It’s amassed approx. 100,000 streams on all platforms, sold out on vinyl and was released through Black Buffalo Records and Fat Beats as a partnership. Bigname acts like Skyzoo, Rome Streetz and CL Smooth were featured on the LP as well. Find out more about DK in the Q&A below!

What’s the Halifax hip-hop scene like?

There’s different groups and different sounds within the scene, continuing to pop up. Yeah, the city is experiencing a lot of growth in the last 3 or 4 years. I’ve noticed that the scene has really become more diverse and it’s definitely growing.

What was the first project you ever released?

I released a beat tape in 2012. But if you’re talking about a project with artists, Soul Expressions, that was in 2018. So that would’ve been my first independent release with rappers over my own production. The reason I did that is because chasing placements and trying to figure out the emcees on your beats was really unknown. A project with emcees that wanted to get involved. I just put it out under my name. So that was the first project that I would have put out commercially under my own name.

What was the creative process like in making Listen to the Masters?

That was a weird one because we started the album before the pandemic, and then we basically stopped recording because of the pandemic and all the restrictions. And then gradually when some of the restrictions eased up, we went back and finished it. We finished it and then eventually released it. So we had some of the tracks done before the pandemic. This DJ’s house studio, not far from me, his name is DJ Uncle Fester. So usually I would send Ghettosocks a batch of beats and he would choose the ones that he liked the most for the project. And then eventually he would write and then we would meet at the studio. He’d record, I’d be there and give him any direction. Anything that he needed. We built it song by song, and then as the pandemic hit, we were trying to figure out how we can make the project a little bit bigger.

So we ended up emailing some other artists during the pandemic because people aren’t really doing a whole lot to write and record.

We managed to obtain some features that may not have been possible pre-pandemic. So we were happy with the way that the whole thing turned out. I generally would come with a beat and either I would have the concept, or Ghettosocks would have the concept.

How did you link up with some of the big-name artists that were featured on the album, such as Skyzoo, Rome Streetz and CL Smooth?

So Skyzoo, that was Ghettosocks, cause he had a relationship with him. And there’s another producer in the Halifax area named ChanHays. He released an album in 2018, it’s called Here. So he knew us from there, too, cause Skyzoo was on a few of those songs as well. It was a natural connection there. And then I cold emailed some of the other artists, got a feature in return, which was great. So basically, that’s how it worked with Rome Streetz and CL Smooth.

Did you already have relationships with some of the Canadian artists that were featured?

So pHoenix Pagliacci, Ghettosocks had a relationship with her, because I think she was on the album either Treat of the Day or For You Pretty Things. She was on one of the two.

So they had a relationship, so he made the connection there.

And the other artists were local, like Ambition, he’s from Halifax, we know him. Kxng Wooz, Tachichi. Mostly local guys, they were happy to be a part of it. So it worked out well.

What would be a dream collaboration for you?

I want to work with Black Thought. That would be a good one. In terms of other producers, I don’t know. Really the only producer that I’ve collaborated with is Moka Only, which worked out well. Like as far as collaborating with other producers, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought of that. Sometimes there could be too many cooks in the kitchen, when it comes to collaborations. But when they work, you could come up with a unique sound. I don’t know the answer to that, but generally I just prefer to work alone.

What was the process involved in sampling Listen to the Masters?

I think I played some stuff and sampled myself.

Most of the other samples were straight off vinyl.

Did you ever have to clear any samples on any beats that you’ve ever made?

The way I look at it, at this level, if they come after me it means that I’m doing something right. But for most people, the worst thing that could happen is they’ll delete your song off iTunes or the streaming platforms. And you could probably either sell it or put it on your website or Bandcamp and they won’t take it down.

I always put the art first, I try to make the best thing possible.

If it’s using a sample, that’s fine, and if it’s not, that’s fine, too.

Just think of all the records that wouldn’t have happened only for a sample. Like remember one of Drake’s first hits? Oh, “Best I Ever Had,” that was the song. The sample is a big ‘70s hit, and it’s pretty recognizable. Can you imagine if that song wasn’t made?

It may have delayed his career by a few years. So at that point, if you don’t have a hit then the label’s gonna want to clear the sample anyways because then they get a percentage of something, as opposed to getting 0% of nothing, or 100% of nothing.

Do you have any projects in the works at the moment?

I do. I’m releasing a series, it’s called Atlantic Rap Best of, and there’s gonna be several volumes. But right now I’m working on Volume 1 and Volume 2. The concept of this is I’m getting my favourite emcees that rap to the traditional or boom bap style of rap. It’s a series all over my beats. I guess the concept of it is, you know sometimes when you look at old jazz albums and you see “Atlantic Jazz” or “Best of the ‘80s, ‘70s, ‘60s, etc.” I’m gonna do something like that. It’s gonna be volumes of good rap over my beats. That’s the theory. That’s the concept.

In the Halifax hip-hop scene, is it more like the old school style or the trap style?

Originally it was more of a traditional style. Like I was saying earlier, there’s a lot more younger artists rapping, and the sound’s definitely changed. I think there’s a bit of both.

And there’s even emcees I see now who are combining both.

Have you ever done any shows outside of Nova Scotia?

No, most of my stuff has been little shows around here. I never really looked to tour. But not to say that I wouldn’t do it and wouldn’t go somewhere and do a show here or there. I don’t think I’m built to be on the road that much. I like working in my studio.

What advice would you give to a producer who is looking to make music on a more serious level?

I would say keep with it. Keep trying to learn your craft and get better every day. Try to find information from other people, like older producers, usually who have been around and had more experience. That’s where I would start. And again, like I mentioned earlier, I definitely recommend people just make the music that they want to make. Because there’s a fan for basically anything, because there’s so many people on earth.

By ian mcbride

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Def credits • DEF Magazine created, edited, and published by Def Goldbloom aka Brandon Mariano • Additional editing by Nolan Kelly • Pages 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 20 writted by Def Goldbloom aka Brandon Mariano • Cover photo shot by George Douglas Peterson • Photo on page 1 shot by All Ceven • Photo on page 3 shot by Jalen Marlowe • Pages 5 and 7 written by Oliver Hogg • Pages 6, 17, and 18 written by Nolan Kelly • Comics on pages 15 and 16 by Henry Foster • Page 8 written by Connor Dobson • Photos on page 9 and 12 shot by George Douglas Peterson • Photo on page 14 shot by John L (AIKIG) • Page 19 written by The Rap Revoluton • Pages 21 and 22 written by Seher Ahmed • Photos on pages 21 and 22 courtesy of Menaz Worldwide • Pages 23 and 24 written by Ian Mcbride • Art on Page 25 by Sean Monaghan

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