Zenitram
Interview Featured

Artist Interview: Zenitram on His Near-DeathExperience, Freestyle Rap and the Vision BehindZeniTV

Natalia Privalova

The artist and creator Dariel Martinez discusses a 2018 car crash, the freedom of improvisation and the ongoing story he is building through music and video. For Zenitram, a freestyle is more than a test of lyrical reflexes. It is a way of making sense of memories that he spent years struggling to understand. Behind the name is Dariel Martinez, an independent rapper and the creator of ZeniTV, a developing multimedia project shaped by a traumatic car accident and his subsequent search for direction. Martinez traces a turning point to…

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Xritual
Interview Featured

Artist Interview: XRITUAL Talks Turning Pain Into Music and Carving His Own Lane in South Florida

Marty McFly

Miami Gardens artist XRITUAL is building a career around versatility, independence, and turning real-life experiences into music. His sound moves through dark hip-hop, gothic rap, melodic rap, emo rap, psychedelic influences, rock-inspired energy, and other styles that resist easy classification. For XRITUAL, however, the darkness is not an aesthetic for its own sake. It comes from lived experience, loss, survival, ambition, and what he describes as a process of turning pain into art. Beyond recording, XRITUAL is also helping develop South Florida’s independent music scene through The Reckoning Artist Showcase,…

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Gee Related
Featured Interview

Gee Related Talks Building Momentum With “No Fun” Featuring Vidal Garcia and “Only Fans” Featuring Prozik

Natalia Privalova

Representing Gee Related Entertainment, the independent artist expands his catalog through two distinctive collaborations. Gee Related is building his musical catalog one collaboration at a time. Representing his independent label, Gee Related Entertainment, the California artist is expanding his reach with “No Fun” featuring Vidal Garcia while continuing to promote “Only Fans” featuring Prozik. Together, the two records capture different sides of his creative identity and reinforce his commitment to developing a recognizable sound on his own terms. Released Aug. 31, “No Fun” is a compact, explicit hip-hop track that…

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DJ Khaled with two lions
Interview

For DJ Khaled, It All Comes Down to Love

Natalia Privalova

The musical mastermind discusses fatherhood, how he thinks about success, and why jumpsuits are sexy. Some people speak in tongues. Some people speak in metaphors. Some people speak in riddles. DJ Khaled speaks in italics. Pop’s musical quilt-master is a serial emphasizer. His latest album, Father of Asahd, he tells me, was an impossibility—getting that many stars on one album, you try it—and yet, “I DID it.” So far as why he believes the album was so potent, he adds, “Because everybody comes with their A Game, or MORE than…

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Fari X
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Fari X

Hulda Hicks

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Fari X: What is your legal name?My government name is Ni'kaiya Pettie but people that really know me call me Nikey, Kaiya, and even Fari. How did you come up with name Fari X? Fari means The Queen or Leader and that's who I am and "X" stands for unknown. I decided to use "X" in respect for my ancestors whose true last names were stripped from them by the colonizers. Where are you from? I am from two culturally rich cities…

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Dante Blak
Interview

Interview with Dante Blak

Hulda Hicks

Raptology: What is your name, age and where are you from?DB: My legal name is Darrin Lane and I just turned 31 this past June.I was born in Brooklyn, NY. We lived in Brownsville on Blake Ave before moving to Dean St. In Bed Stuy. In 97, we moved to Long Island and been out here ever since (even though we’re still in BK at any given moment for whatever reason lol). Raptology: Why did you first start making music?DB: I used to sing a lot since before I was…

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Juice wrld "freshly squeezed" rapper cover art
Interview

The Big Read – Juice Wrld: “The rap game is so motherfucking soft now”

Natalia Privalova

He went from unknown Illinois teen to Billboard-topping emo-rap icon in under a year, and his introspective, genre-mashing music draws on both Nirvana and Migos, offering up admirably honest rhymes about mental health, drugs and heartbreak. 20-year-old Juice WRLD, a self-proclaimed “old soul”, tells Jordan Bassett about his love of mid-noughties emo, his relationship with XXXTentacion, getting sued by Sting and disastrous shows with Nicki Minaj. PHOTOS: Andy Ford. Juice WRLD’s NME Big Read shoot is a family affair. In the plush basement of a central London hotel, his mum…

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7th Ward Shorty
Interview

Exclusive interview with 7th Ward Shorty

Hulda Hicks

7th Ward Shorty, a product of the city that brought one of hip-hop’s goats, Mr. “Fire Man” Lil Wayne, is on the come up to becoming a goat himself. His young years in New Orleans, Louisiana was always around music. In fact, his art and creativity were as a result of his passion and enthusiasm for music. In his earlier years, Shorty was already a problem on the mic as a gospel rapper. His talent and gift of rhyming and melody was certain. All that was left, was for time…

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Rob Twizz
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Rob Twizz

Natalia Privalova

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Rob Twizz:Talk me through your creative process.My creative process varies based on my inspirations. Sometimes I like to tap in the small area where most artist don’t go – which is to still try to create something that hasn’t been done before. Whether it’s a music video story line, or simply a creative punchline that I want to hit the listener with, I try to make sure I do something special. At times my ideas might just come at me a random,…

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sense100p
Interview

Exclusive interview with Sense100p

Hulda Hicks

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview aspiring rapper Sense100p: What is your legal name and age?Justin Tyler Gabriel.What is your stage name and how did you come up with it?Sense100p I came up with it cause I had just came back from Japan from serving on a carrier in Yokosuka Japan and I had watched a documentary talking about the music industry and how Master P made off big and with taken an interest I decided to the Japanese style master p… So it started off as Sensei…

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skazz rapper
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Skazz

Natalia Privalova

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Skazz: Where are you from?From South Carolina the Lowcountry I was born in Fairfax-Allendale but was raised in Brunson and Varnville. Who would you say inspired you the most, as an artist? Future & Young Thug “free slime” showed me the grind don’t stop keep working, keep dropping fire for the streets to vibe to. It ain’t nothing to put some banger’s and mixtapes out. But I’m making sure the business is right behind the scenes first foremost. https://youtu.be/bcavyyqwMRA Why did you…

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William Gold
Interview

Exclusive Interview with WilliamGold (BOLD Entertainment Group)

Natalia Privalova

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview WilliamGold from BOLD Entertainment Group: How did you first come up with the idea of doing Awake In A Nightmare: The Epilogue?It’s been a year since we released my debut album, Asleep With The TV On. I felt like instead of doing a deluxe like everyone does, it would be cool to cap off the “dream” style album I did with a darker ending. It was a good way to give heavier hip-hop records to the people who have been asking for…

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Meech Mercury
Interview

Exclusive interview with Meech Mercury

Natalia Privalova

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Meech Mercury: Raptology: What is your legal name and age?Meech Mercury: My real name is Demetrious Dabadee and I’m 24 at the moment. No I don’t know what my name means or where it’s from blame slavery. Raptology: How did you come up with a stage name?Meech Mercury: It started with something as cliché as checking into astrology. My sun sign is gemini and the assigned planet for gemini is the first one in our solar system Mercury. From the jump I…

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Dj Flip
Interview

Exclusive Interview with DJ Flip

Hulda Hicks

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview DJ Flip: What is your legal name and age?My name is Eddie Neam, I am a full time entrepreneur 32 years old. Where are you from?I was born in Rockville, Maryland. Raised in Cape Coral,FL. Threw out my music career I lived in Atlanta, DC, Maryland, VA (DMV). What is your stage name and how did you come up with it?My stage name is Dj Flip I got it from a younger age when I was doing mixtapes in school and someone…

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DaeShawn Forrest 2 1 scaled
Interview

Exclusive Interview with DaeShawn Forrest

Natalia Privalova

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview aspiring rapper DaeShawn Forrest: Talk me through your creative process.My creative process is mainly based on how I feel in the moment. I always try to create naturally out of what I’m feeling at the time. Meaning, if I’m feeling sad and heartbroken, I’m not going to attempt to make something that feels more happy and uplifting. I find that it’s so important for me to create in whatever mental and emotional state I’m in because it comes out so relatable and…

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Malachi-Grant2
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Malachi Grant

Trey Smith

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Malachi Grant: Why did you first start making music?Music gave me a voice without interruption. I started off playing instruments and got lost in the music notes yet was present in the moment. That evolved to me creating melodies and harmonies that spoke to a specific emotion in time which ultimately led me into trying my hand, and writing songs. I found a connection with music and I nurtured it and it took me the journey that led me here. Where and…

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Trespeace rapper
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Trespeace

Hulda Hicks

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview rapper Trespeace: What is your legal name and age?My name is Lawrence Oliver III, and I am 28 years old. What is your stage name and how did you come up with it?My stage name is Trespeace "Trey piece". Tres (silent S) is the nickname my parents gave since I am the 3rd. I played on the phrase trey piece and made it my own. Where are you from?I'm from a suburb of Chicago. Orland Park, IL. View this post on Instagram…

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Enlight98 1
Interview Featured

Exclusive interview with Toon 1hunnit

Hulda Hicks

Raptology: How did you come up with a stage name?Toon 1hunnit: I came up with the name Toon 1hunnit from originally being called Cartoon growing up. Cartoons can be whatever you want them to be as long as you illustrate it. At a young age I took that mentality and illustrated my future. As i got older I cut off the first half and kept Toon as a play on the musical term Tune. I added 1hunnit to the end because cartoons are fake, I'm 100 percent real. https://www.instagram.com/p/CEadLUeBuSZ/ Raptology:…

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Paris Richards
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Paris Richards

Hulda Hicks

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Paris Richards: Where are you from?I was born and raised from Toronto, CANADA. Why did you first start making music?I started writing music as a form of therapy to get things off my chest. It was a hobby that slowly turned into a career over time. I always go to the clubs and hear rap music, but it was always Male dominated. I always wondered what it would be like to hear a woman’s perspective on certain topics. Like being a boss,…

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Kunte Kente
Interview

Exclusive Interview with Kunte Kente

Hulda Hicks

Modern hip hop has more than enough rappers gunning for the throne, but some, like rising rapper Kunte Kente actually have what it takes. Born in Gary, Indiana, Kunte Kente was raised in the city of Syracuse, New York. As he grew through his experiences in life, he would be introduced to the world of rap through legendary hip hop duo, EPMD. That became the spark that lit the fuse that would blow up into a career of his own. In time, Kunte Kente would become more passionate in his…

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