• Hot!

    Tonedeff – The 730 Interview

    Tonedeff - The 730 Interview

    Tonedeff is the hip-hop incarnation of WebTV. Go with it for a second – something that was way ahead of its time, brilliant, and underappreciated as hell. Before any MC was worried about connecting with fans on a more personal level, before Twitter’s parents even met, where was Tone? On the QN5 message boards, building the brand. Oh, before rappers were talking about their brand, what was Tone doing? Building his brand, slanging one baby blue QN5 shirt at a time. Oh, merch? Yeah, Tone did that too, whether it was for QN5 artists like PackFM or the supergroup Extended F@mm (which may be coming back – check the interview), yeah, Tone did that too. The guy is always stylish from his feet to even his laptop, which was customized with Mac Decals. And don’t forget the huge QN5 Mega Shows, touring the country, or putting you on to dope acts like Kokayi. Tone did all of that too. And that’s not even mentioning his solo project Archetype, an underground classic. But Tone didn’t die off the way of WebTV. He just evolved. Got stronger. He’s like what the next generation of Chromecast would be. But he’s it now. Something like that.

    But while Tone’s early accomplishments and innovations are all revolutionary, it’s also in the past. Today Tone is focused more on himself and his new artists, Fjer and Lucy Camp. Having just dropped his second solo album Polymer this summer, a confessional that is the most introspective Tonedeff’s ever gotten, and if you listened to songs like “Porcelain,” that’s saying something. Musically, it’s ambitious, as Tone does a little bit of everything, including the wall of sound. It’s an album that you can’t just listen to once or give a cursory interview about what it was like to make it and what’s your favorite track and thanks for stopping by. It’s an album that requires a dissection and in that process, one has to step back and ask themselves if it’s the music or themselves that’s under the microscope.

    That’s why you’re getting this super-long interview with someone I’ve always respected for not only putting his own blood, sweat, and tears in the game with no rich relatives, but someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and is always finding new ways to be innovative. There’s not too many artists left that I can honestly say that about, so it’s kind of a big deal when I get to interview one of them. Need anymore reasons to check the interview?

    Oh yeah. Find out the answer to that one question you know you want to ask but you just can’t because it’s been asked so many damn times before and if I ask the question and Tone gets pissed he’s gonna hang up and that’s going to be embarrassing and ruin all the questions I agonized over prepping for this and then how do I edit the interview to make it sound like it’s all good and really, it would just be a huge mess. I didn’t even ask it, but still got you an answer. These interviews are just that good.

    @tonedeff
    @seven3zero

    Cop 730’s debut interview collection Words, featuring some of his best interviews, here (Kindle) or here (physical).

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  • Hot!

    Reef the Lost Cauze – The 730 Interview

    Reef the Lost Cauze has always been an MC’s MC. With an amazing ear for beats as well as the lyrical capacity to demolish any concept or competitor, Reef has more than made his mark on the Philly hip-hop scene and beyond. Now ten albums deep in the game, not even counting the AOTP discog, EPs, or mixtapes, Reef’s got a lot to talk about, whether it’s politics, autism, his creative process, or his classic verse on the Snowgoons’ latest “Goon Bap.” Bonus for all the underground Philly heads – find out where Chief Kamachi’s been and if Juju Mob is reconvening.

    @lostcauze
    @seven3zero

    Cop 730’s debut interview collection Words, featuring some of his best interviews, here (Kindle) or here (physical).

    Words_Cover_for_Kindle

  • Hot!

    Killah Priest – The 730 Interview

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    From dealing with the death of a close friend to working the indie game, 2016 was a trying year for Walter Reed. But anyone who’s even remotely familiar with his music knows that nothing’s going to be able to stop Priest for long. Due to an eternally positive outlook and a strong sense of spirituality, Priest is armed for whatever comes his way. We reconnect in this interview to talk about his latest projects, his outlook on the next four years, politically, his writing process, legacy, aliens, and much more.

    Artwork by @jefsmack

    Get @ Killah Priest
    Get @ seven3zero

    Cop 730’s debut interview collection Words, featuring some of his best interviews, here (Kindle) or here (physical).

    Words_Cover_for_Kindle

  • Hot!

    CHECK IT PODCAST – Episode 1 – Starring Deacon the Villain

    The WeGoinIN Check It Podcast Deacon

    Face it. A lot of times when you’re looking for new music, whether it’s for a long ride or when you’re trying to impress someone with your eclectic musical taste, you can only scroll through albums on Spotify for so long before you settle on the same old playlist or the recommendations that they’re probably being paid to show you. That is why I am bringing you Check It, a podcast dedicated to bringing you musical recommendations from people you respect.

    Our first guest on Check It is none other than the Cunninlynguist’s Deacon the Villain.

    As a member of Cunninlyngusts, Deacon first burst onto the scene in 2001 with the cult classic Will Rap 4 Food. He’s been a part of all five studio albums and the Sloppy Seconds and Strange Journey mixtape series as well as having a successful solo career. Deacon dropped his most recent solo album, Peace or Power, in 2015. Check out Deacon’s recommendations below.

    Get @ Deacon
    Get @ seven3zero

  • Hot!

    Craig G – The 730 Interview

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    I Rap and Go Home is a genius concept. It’s what most rappers do. Spend a decade-plus interviewing MCs from all walks of life, and one quickly finds that life onstage and on the road is nowhere near as glamorous as it seems. Save for the few at the top of the pyramid, underneath that rare air is a host of MCs who were once there, so close but never made it, and those who have no shot at making it but haven’t realized it yet.

    Fortunately for Craig G, he’s one that’s been to the top of the pyramid thanks to many seminal moments in hip-hop, from dropping “The Symphony” as part of the legendary Juice Crew to battling the freestyle champ Supernatural live with no theatrics. In between those moments and after, Craig G has embodied the spirit of hip-hop, crafting quality songs on his own terms and representing the principles that hip-hop has and should stand for at all levels.

    In this exclusive interview, the Queensbridge product talks about his journey over the years, why he raps and goes home now, what it’s like to enjoy his passion on his own terms, his new project with Nottz, and the long-awaited Juice Crew reunion.

    I’m definitely feeling the new album, I Rap and Go Home. If you look at your last album title, Ramblings of an Angry Old Man, it seems as though you have a sense of humor with how you present yourself. (more…)

  • Hot!

    Psycho Les – The 730 Interview

    psycho-les-the-730-interview

    Psycho Les and The Beatnuts have been noticeably absent as of late. Without new music, fans have been forced to keep their classic anthems on repeat, which is never a bad thing. But new music from Psycho Les is a huge deal and hopefully the start of much more – a new Beatnuts album, the long-awaited Liknuts collab album with Tha Liks, and more. Running his label, Pit Fight Records, Psycho Les is much more in control of his artistic destiny than he’s ever been in the past, and that freedom is looking and sounding pretty damn good.

    Dropping Dank God Volume One, with a slew of heavyweight features including R.A. the Rugged Man, The Lox, and more, Psycho Les stays in the pocket, right where he should be, dropping his classic sample-driven, dirty beats that are more New York than the stains on a concrete subway platform. In this exclusive interview, Psycho Les talks about crafting the album, why there’s more in the clip, why digging should be more appreciated, his record collection, and much more.

    I was surprised to see you had a new album dropping, and once it dropped, it’s stayed in rotation. What’s it been like getting Dank God Volume One ready and how’s it doing for you?

      (more…)