Icon (Wisconsin) – Q&A Interview
Tell us a little about yourself. Where you are from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?
I am a young entrepreneur out of Madison, WI. I’ve been making Hip Hop for around 6 years, but I’ve been writing for many more.
What influences you in making Hip Hop?
My main influences for making Hip Hop are my love for music and my passion for poetry. I picked up Jay-Z’s “Black Album” a few years after it came out and that was the start of my addiction. Hearing the way he could put together lyrics in a way that would flow together perfectly really changed my perception on what people call “good music”.
Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?
My music is knowledge; this is the main thing that separates me from other MC’s. Of coarse I’ll make a fun ignorant banger every so often, but most of my music is much deeper than that. I spend more of my time with a pen and paper than I do with the mic, piecing together poetry that makes you stop and think rather than just bob your head to the rhythm.
Who have you collaborated with? Who would you like to collab with in the near future?
I’ve collabed with quite a few people, most of them being local MC’s such as Dooda, Arcani and Gooh Official. My main partner in music is AEGY Gold, who I’m currently working on an EP with. My biggest dream is to collab with Ab-Soul from TDE. He is without a doubt my favorite MC, being able to combine catchy music with the deepest lyrics you can find.
Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?
“Underground Hip Hop”, to me, is what separates the real MC’s from the mainstream artists. An underground artist isn’t worried about “what can I make that people will buy” but more focused on “what can I make that I like”. Being underground allows you to be different with your music, not having to worry about how much it will sell and weather or not it’s “poppy” enough for the radio.
Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production? And who would you like to work with?
My main influences production wise are Willie B, Sounwave, and Tae Beast (the producer crew from TDE). I love how almost none of their productions are comparable to other music. They bring a unique sound to the table and it is the reason why TDE has the hype it does. When it comes to producing beats, my main producer is Bvck, but I’m slowly teaching myself the process. When it comes to recording, mixing, and mastering, I do all the work myself and I enjoy having full control over all aspects of the song.
Any current or future projects you are promoting?
Right now, my biggest promotion is my first solo mixtape: “City Lights”. I’m in the process of a second mixtape, but it’s too early in the production for me to say.
Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of City Lights MIXTAPE? Also/ what was the idea or concept description about your Album Art Cover.
For the “City Lights” mixtape, there was quite a bit of work that went into it. It was more a compilation of all the songs I had recorded at the time rather than a planned mixtape. After doing multiple collab mixtapes, I realized that I needed some type of solo mixtape to show for myself.The concept for my mixtape cover stemmed from the feel of it. I didn’t make the cover until I was finished with the tape. Once it was done, I put the tape on through my headphones, sparked a blunt, and visualized a mixtape cover through how it made me feel while listening to it.
Where can we find your music and info?
You can find most of my music through YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicTransitStudios, HotNewHipHop: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/Young_Icon/mixtape/ and Coast2Coast http://coast2coastmixtapes.com/mixtapes/mixtapedetail.aspx/swag-team-studio-sessions-vol-1.
You can also follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/Y0ungIc0n and Instagram @Troajs.
Any shout outs?
Shout out to my Wisco rappers, Dooda, Gooh, Brazz, Arcani, and XYZ. Shout out to my dude making it BIG, Ted Park. And lastly, shout out to my dude who’s been down with the vision since day one, my main man AEGY Gold.
