Innovator Co. – Q&A Interview
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?
Cloud – We all grew up together in Los Angeles. We’ve been making music for about 6-7 years separately as well as together. Innovator has been a group for about 2 years now and we’re now ready to start releasing music!
K RUDD – They call me K.Rudd from the Inno Clique….I’m from South Central LA…& I’ve been making music since like 2009 a year out of high school.
Lonnie Ro – I’m from Los Angeles CA and ive been making music for about 10 years
Ky D Jors – I’M FROM THE MOTHAFUCKIN STREETS!! (Haha psyche) I was born in NY & t raised in LA. I also lived in Memphis for about 4 years. I guess I was influenced early on because my dad managed a lot of the big acts from original era of hip hop. My mom tells me stories of me being on stage with RUN DMC and all of those guys when I was like 2.
What influences you in making Hip Hop?
Cloud – I find influence everywhere from current rap to classic psychedelic rock. As far as my approach to music, I try to pull elements from other art forms such as film, architecture and stand-up comedy. It’s all in the approach.
K RUDD – My influences prolly comes from my parents…They both grew up in the church my dad on the keys & my mom been singing her whole life so I knew it was in me…& just being a fan of all genres of music not just hip hop has helped a whole lot too.
Lonnie Ro – I like to bridge different genres, sounds and tones to create something new. I’m very into messages and vibration coming in the music..being conscious of what you’re creating.. But at the same time letting something mindless come through.
Ky D Jors – Life (cliche, right?) Seriously, though. I make art, and I’ve always believed art mimics life. So for me music is just another medium to explore the human condition. As for why I make hip hop in particular, there’s a certain warmth to the genre that I appreciate. Maybe that warmth is nostalgia since some of my most transformative moments occurred while I was listening to hip hop music. Or maybe that warmth is the artist’s passion that I’m picking up on. Either way I started making it because it allows me to express ideas in ways that differ from my paintings, sculptures, prints, etc.
ShonHayes – I would say I’m influenced a lot artists and sounds that’s just outside the conventional sound of hip-hop. Being able to blend elements that push the envelope while staying authentic is really where it’s at to me.
Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?
Cloud – Our music isn’t afraid of what’s out there right now and that’s important. We understand that we don’t have a popular sound and that’s going to make it difficult to break through into the masses. But we know our sound is unique to us and if we stick by it, it’ll catch on.
K RUDD – My music….K.Rudd gone always put you in the most comfortable position when listening to my music…that’s what weed do to you right? The ultimate comfort & who doesn’t enjoy nature….I tried to bridge the two,enjoying nature & music at the same time & I still have a message that the new & old could relate to.
Lonnie Ro – So far I’ve mostly collaborated with my collective. I was in a band at a point too. I think in the future (off the top of my head) I’d like to work with Kendrick, Willow Smith, Erykah Badu, Frank Ocean, James Blake or Robert Glasper. Kanye would be interesting…to bring him back to his roots.
Ky D Jors – Maaaan, so many people are hung up on looking and being “cool” that they forget how to actually have fun. The thing i always loved about the Marshall Mathers LP is that Em sounded like he was having fun. I think that’s what made him so likable to kids like me. That’s all to say one of the things I love most about our sound is that we have fun and you can hear it. Songs will still be heartfelt and dope, but we’re not afraid to put songs like “BBQ”, “Proper” and “Along Again” all on the same project because had fun when we made all of them.
ShonHayes – From our group work to our solo stuff we all have different perspectives and ideas we bring with original music. Just the way I think our sounds mesh together is something you don’t see in your average rap group.
Who have you collaborated with? Who would you like to collab with in the near future?
Cloud – Our favorite collaborators right now have to be Mikezilla, Fred GT, and the dude from WeDidIt. All extremely talented dudes that we hope to work with again!
K RUDD – Other than my fellow Inno members I’ve collaborated with Jesse Rutherford of The NBHD & on the production side of things Shlohmo,Ryan Hemsworth,Baauer just to name a few.I def wanna work with Cudi,Chance,the whole TDE the list goes on just artist who are like-minded & enjoy creating just as much as I do.
Lonnie Ro – So far I’ve mostly collaborated with my collective. I was in a band at a point too. I think in the future (off the top of my head) I’d like to work with Kendrick, Willow Smith, Erykah Badu, Frank Ocean, James Blake or Robert Glasper. Kanye would be interesting…to bring him back to his roots.
Ky D Jors – So far I’ve kept it pretty tight-knit. But I’m working on some stuff with this producer, Balt Getty. Other than that it’s all in the family.
ShonHayes – Only close friends whose music I’m actually a fan of. Definitely one of my rap dreams would be to session with Kanye. He’s one of the reasons I started making music.
Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?
Cloud – Underground Hip-Hop to me are those musical gems that haven’t been discovered yet. Those tracks that you listen to and think “Man how isn’t this song everywhere right now?” That’s what I hope we fall into right now.
K RUDD – My definition of underground hip hop…Hip Hop that’s not mainstream whether that’s by choice or your career not at its full potential due to lack of exposure…but not taking away from the artists talent at all.
Lonnie Ro – I think underground hip hop is that RAW. Anything that doesn’t have a shit load of intentions or ulterior motives behind it. It hasn’t been type-casted or marketed yet. It’s just from the heart and from the people.
Ky D Jors – A subdivision of Hip Hop that is perpetuated by it’s noncommercial sound and content. A subdivision of Hip Hop that is essentially of the culture and for the culture.
ShonHayes – Anything under the mainstream radar I suppose. I feel like back in the day it was related more to boom bap rap but nowadays all you’re favorite new acts start underground. Seems like the Internet is the new underground honestly.
Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production? And who would you like to work with?
Cloud – Right now we produce mostly in-house. Lonnie Ro and myself make most of our beats but we have recently been getting some dope tracks from shonHayes and Mikezilla. We experiment with all types of styles.
K RUDD – My favorite producers have always been Timbaland..N.E.R.D..DRE…i grew up on them making all my favorite tracks when i was younger….Mustard is obviously killing it right now but im pretty happy with my production I’m getting from Lonnie Ro,Patrick Cloud,even my dude shonHayes,def can’t forget my dawgs 4e.
Lonnie Ro – I do probably all my own production and production for others. Hip-Hop wise…Q-Tip, Neptunes, Timbaland, Dj Premier, Dilla, Pete Rock, Vintage Kanye, even Kid Cudi (more recently metro-boomin)…but in a broader sense I love songwriters like Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis. Bands like Beatles, Radiohead, Nirvana, Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala…all these sounds scapes influence me. I could go on.
Ky D Jors – I haven’t gotten into production so much just yet because art takes up a lot of my time. But as for Inno, P & Lonnie do most of our production with occasional work from Shon and sometimes the homie, Mikezilla. They could tell you better than me, but since we all grew up together I know they’re influenced by the work of Pharrell, Doom, and randomly, Steely Dan.
ShonHayes – Everything star trak related from n.e.r.d. and the neptunes to more vibed out alternative artists like toro y moi and little dragon. Lately I’ve been trying to produce my own work but I make most my music with the homies in Innovator.
Any current or future projects you are promoting?
Cloud – Right now we’re pushing our latest album “Shed Light” featuring songs from the entire collective. After that we each have solo projects and duel collabs from within the group that we’ll be releasing. Should be a wild year.
K RUDD – I’m working on finishing my solo project Enjoying Nature…it’s a lifestyle & i want to campaign it different then just a album….I really wanna embrace the nature & get people to get out more & enjoy it & the music will allow you to do just that…Enjoying Nature ep on the way in a bout a month & the LP shortly after.
Lonnie Ro – Yes currently, Shed Light is our debut album as a collective (K.Rudd, Ky D. Jor, Cloud, shonHayes and myself). In the future I will be having my own solo endeavours as well as collaboration projects with my fellow Innovators.
Ky D Jors – So many. Shon is dropping his album, DIOS. Rudd is dropping his Enjoying Nature projects. CleverCloud is dropping a project. And I’m currently working on my solo project, En Route. Plus i have a lot of art shows this year so I’m always working on that. We also do these events called Thinkers & Drinkers where the first half is an art show featuring work by some of the professional young artists i’ve ever known. The second half of the show is like the after party in which we have live DJs, premiere some of our new music & sell mercy. Our next one will be this August.
ShonHayes – More music from everyone in the camp, and my solo project as well.
Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of Shed Light? Also/ tell us a little bit about the concept and idea behind your Album/Mixtape Cover Art.
Cloud – Well we like to think that our music is positive in the sense that we talk about regular things and don’t talk about killing people or selling drugs. It’s not really “SAVE THE WORLD!” type of positive, but we do like to push the idea of being yourself and spreading your inner “light” or message. So that’s what the project is about. We have a couple of songs that were made as a team and a couple that were solo submissions. It’s sort of compilation album that came together smoothly over time.
K RUDD – We all kinda just started making tracks with all 5 of us on it,then there was some tracks that 3 of us got us,then there were tracks we added from our solo & upcoming projects….it was easy…the hard part was finding the right way to release it to the people in a creative way & that’s what took the most time,dealing 5 different innovators & 5 different opinions it took a minute but were all perfectionist & we wouldn’t drop shit til it was that.
Lonnie Ro – Well Shed Light is a bit of a capsule of songs, individual and collective, that we’ve been working on over the past couple years. We figured it would be a good look to put out a foundational work that bonded us together in people’s eyes. I think it helps to “Shed Light” on who we are and what we’re about. In a deeper sense it has to do with bringing positivity in a way that feels natural to us. Making good.
Ky D Jors – Ok, so shit’s fucked up in the world, right? We can’t fight the violence with violence, especially when it’s on such a mass scale. We can’t end political and social injustice with the stroke of a pen. And it’s not likely that a single speech or conversation with corrupt people will make them be better people. So if we want to see more Good in the world, all we can do is led by example and Shed Light.
As for the art, it was just about time people see our faces and feel like they can actually connect with us. There are a lot of other drafts that didn’t make the cut, and this one was by far the simplest. But it was also the only one that featured our faces and showed a bit of our personalities, which i feel is important in establishing a relationship with your audience.
ShonHayes – Honestly it’s just a result of us meeting up and making music. We all work together so well and often on different levels from everyone all on one song to more divided collaborations. Same thing for the art, we just tend to create what we think would work best for our brand.
Where can we find your music and info?
Any Shout Outs?
Cloud – Shoutout to all of the young Innovators out there struggling to get their material out because it isn’t trending. Keep it up and so will we.
K RUDD – Shout out y’all for fucking wit us & giving this interview always dope connecting with new homies into this music shit like us…& Shout out my Inno niggas!!! & my momma I luh you guh!
Lonnie Ro – I just got to give a shout out to God and to the spirit that keeps my team and I creative & happy with what we do. It gets hard at times to fight uphill in this industry, but there’s always a reminder as to why we should keep doing it.
Ky D Jors – Nah, just tell Koons to make room. I got some new shit to replace those big ass balloons.
ShonHayes – Shout out everybody in the camp for being great at what they do and all my people back home in Michigan! Also thanks to yall for showing Shed Light some love. Peace!
